The Arctic Revisited
by SweetTale4u
Summary: Sheldon is advised by the University that his findings from his expedition require further field study. No one wants to go with him. Penny is back in school and Sheldon proposes she accompany him for college credit. Little does she know what awaits them
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own any of these characters or actors, I am just borrowing them for a while to fulfill a fantasy** Happy Reading….this is my first fan fiction so be kind **

"What do you mean that none of you will be able to accompany me to the North Pole" Sheldon whined.

"We have already been down that road with you Sheldon and we can't do it again and on top of that I have plans of my own I told you I leave for India on Friday, Howard will be too busy with his astronaut training. Raj, cannot travel again because of his VISA status" Leonard answered as he squirmed in his seat.

"So who am I going to take, no one at the University will come with me, as they all pulled out of the expedition when they heard I would be the one leading it" Sheldon asked again as he separated the food that was laid out on the table in front of him. "Not even any grad students signed the sign-up sheet, however they did doodle something akin to a raccoon with a distended phallus"

Raj and Howard giggled, knowing very well who had do that.

Knock, knock,

"Hey guys" Penny bounded in books in hand. She had been taking night classes for the last few months, getting closer to getting her community college degree. On most nights she would come over and ask the guys for help with her assignments, usually only Sheldon would help, as the others would become exasperated with the questions that would arise from Penny.

"You ready for some homework help?" she quipped as she took a dumpling from Sheldon's plate. He must have been very distracted as the others gasped while Sheldon didn't even flinch.

"Sweetie….Sheldon are you okay?" she asked. She asked as she sat down at her spot next to him at on the sofa. They had long ago determined this was her spot. He could not seem to remember a time that she wasn't there. Even during her time with Leonard, she always sat next to him, he in his spot, she in hers. It was routine, he liked routine. "Is it about the equitable distribution of the dumplings Sheldon?" she asked. He was still staring into space.

"Sheldon is just upset we cannot accompany him on his return expedition to the North Pole" Howard answered as he dug into his food.

"Why not? What happened?" Penny asked. The boys filled her in quickly, all the while Sheldon sat, his gaze transfixed onto some invisible whiteboard.

"I'm sorry Sweetie….do you want me to sing you soft kitty"

"Penny… I am not a child. I simply need to find someone to accompany me on this expedition. The data I was reviewing from our last expedition did show some positive data that requires further investigation."

The rest of the evening consisted of arguing which of the Doctor Who's was better, since there was a marathon on BBC America. Sheldon occasionally chimed in, but remained pretty silent. Penny glanced over at him occasionally, when his weight would shift slightly on his precious spot. She felt sad for him, it must be lonely to be the kid with the tickets to a big show and no one wants to go with you.

"Sheldon…can't you get a grad student to go with you? Or someone else?" Penny asked.

Howard and Raj looked up at her question; Leonard was busy trying to get his laptop up so he can chat with Priya. Penny and Leonard had given it another go, but never got past the beta testing phase of their agreement, and decided that they were better off as friends. Leonard was back with Priya, realizing they were meant to be. He would be going to India next week to spend some time with her and meet Mr. & Mrs. Koothrapali.

"That is a great idea Penny..." Sheldon darted up from his spot and got on the laptop, shooting off a letter to the university president.

"President Seibert will surely grant me the permission and additional funds to take someone else, all I really need is someone I can rely on to take notes and assist in collecting samples, a rhesus monkey can do it" Sheldon said aloud.

"Kind of insulting isn't it Sheldon, you did take us last time" Leonard said defensively.

"And look how that turned out Leonard, the three of you derailed my research by implementing the old electric can opener trick and even planned to let me freeze to death, no thank you!"

The evening ended with Penny not getting any help on her homework; however it was nice to see Sheldon smiling a bit more in anticipation to President Seibert's response. She wondered who he would take with him. He could always take his mom, or maybe Amy? While Amy and he had terminated their agreement a few weeks ago after the scene she caused when he would not go to her grandmother's birthday party. He saw that it was not beneficial to continue that agreement. She had since been working on a new procedure to cure introversion and pathological shyness and had conscripted Raj as her main case study. They had been spending a lot of time together in her lab; however you would not get much from Raj, except that he lit up like the Hindu festival of Diwali every time he was in the same room with her.

Whoever he wrangled into going with him, Penny found herself thinking about how much she would miss Sheldon and his homework help. He always made time for her, he was always patient and explained things in a way that she began to understand the universe better. Not only did she know exactly the reason he chose that spot on the couch, she knew the significant of a fixed point in time. She had loaded her class schedule with science classes, she found sitting in class that she understood a lot more of what the professor was saying and was at ease. She thought how cool it would be if she could get her PhD, then it would only be Howard left. She grinned as she got into bed, the moon shining brightly into her room. She would miss her wacka-doodle.

Early the next morning Sheldon was in President Seibert's office getting the okay to bring someone on his expedition. President Seibert approved the expense seeing that is would be a welcomed treat to be without Sheldon for a whole three months. Sheldon bounded out of the office with a light skip in his step.

He thought he would call right away and request the necessary credit and time off. He got on the phone with the school requesting information on the internship credits available to undergraduate students and also called over to the get the time off approved by the corporate office where they were employed.

With this in his hand, he headed over to ask if it was a possibility.

Knock, knock, knock…"Penny?"

Knock, Knock, Knock "Penny?"

Knock, Knock, Knock "Penny?"

"What's up buttercup?" Penny answered, she had just gotten her hair done and it flowed, no cascaded down her bare shoulders. She was obviously dressed to go out on the town.

"I am sorry Penny, I do not mean to keep you from your number 32" he said

"Sheldon…I told you…whatever… if you must know, Amy and Bernadette are coming over and we are hitting the town. Stuart and Kripe as well as Zack are going to be competing in a pub contest so we thought we would go cheer them on. Then we were going to go dancing."

"I didn't know you were friends with Kripe?" Sheldon asked

"Oh yeah, well once you get ower the way he talks, he can be really nice guy, even though he keeps calling me Woxane!" Penny giggled as she finished putting her earrings in.

Sheldon shifted nervously from one foot to another as he watched her. Her long hair tracing down her back, she had let it grow longer than usual. The blue dress she wore hugged her body, which was a lot fuller now than in the past, just the right way; it was very aesthetically pleasing her thought, as he shook his head free of those thoughts.

"Penny, I have a proposition for you…" Sheldon began nervously. "How would you not like to have to attend class this coming semester?"

"What do you mean Sheldon?" she was asking while still fixing her hair in the mirror, not paying much attention to him. She sometimes blocked him out; his running commentary can get a bit annoying.

"I propose Penny that you accompany me to the North Pole as my research assistant, now before you answer, I have already spoken to the corporate office for the Cheesecake Factory and also to your academic advisor, who I cleared your field work as credits in physics and advanced science"

"S-Sheldon what do you mean? I can't go with you to the North Pole, I have no idea what to do!" she stammered. This time she was staring right at him, his blue eyes lingering a bit too long on her clavicle, she suddenly felt underdressed.

"Sure you can Penny, you will assist me in gathering data and recording our… I mean my findings and the time will allow you to learn a semester worth of physics, as I have okayed it with your college, I would also have you know, that should you like the field work, there would be an opening in my department for you to secure upon returning that would allow you to continue your studies at the University while also receiving a paycheck."

Penny thought about it for a minute. She loathed the smell of cheesecake on her hair and that uniform had grown increasingly uglier and uglier over the last couple of years. Maybe her dream to be an actress had been too big of a leap. She could do three months in the artic, why not? But could she take three months of Sheldon. They guys would not be there to serve as her buffer zone. Surely the arguing would lead to disaster…one of the two would wind up buried in snow.

"Sheldon…can I take the night to think about it?"

"Sure Penny, I will be by here tomorrow morning, but not before 11am"

"Okay Sheldon"

He left the apartment, a small smile breaking on his face as he thought 'she hadn't said no'.

That night Penny went to bed thinking about Sheldon's preposition. It was true this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and it would lead to a new job where she can maybe proceed a whole new career, Lord knows the acting was not taking off. A hemorrhoid commercial was as good as it got and she was not getting any younger. Her social life had hit a dead stop as she found it difficult to move past her nights of Thai food and Halo to find herself someone, the truth was, after meeting the guys, especially Sheldon, it was tough to carry out conversations with regular guys. I guess that is why she had taken to drinking so much. She had stopped a bit since she saw it was getting a bit overboard.

She lay in bed thinking that she had learned so much from her time with Sheldon and the guys. I am sure he could teach her a lot more, that is if the arguing didn't get the best of them. They joked once how they were like an old married couple; she smiled now thinking of how that would be. She shook that thought out of her head quick as sleep overcame her. Just as the last bit of consciousness left she smiled thinking that she would have to buy some warm clothes.

She didn't wait for Sheldon to knock on her door, she woke up early for a run and as she returned she knocked on his door.

Her face was flushed as she was breathing heavy; she had been running, the small bag containing what he could only guess was a bear claw. "Good morning Penny, I can see you went running still no heart rate or pedometer" he quipped at her. He could not help but notice the drops of sweat as they made their way down her exposed neck, making their way to her breasts. He shivered a bit, he wondered why as the thermostat should still be at the pre-agreed upon temperature, he would be sure to check it and reprimand Leonard should he have changed it.

"Sheldon, I have decided to accept your proposal to accompany you on your research expedition"

"That is fantastic Penny, but please, from now on you should refer to me as Sir, since I am in charge of the expedition."

"Aye eye Sir" she saluted him mocking his seniority.

"First we will go get our physicals done and get you the necessary gear, I still have the gear from my last trip, but we must make sure to get you some warm clothes and gear." Sheldon told her busily as he grabbed his messenger bag and heading towards her.

"Sheldon, I need to shower and then we can go shopping, we can make a whole day thing" she smiled as she turned towards her door, he followed quickly behind her anxiously awaiting the day's events

After a day at various stores, they decided on dinner, where Sheldon went over in some detail, keeping it at a community college level, what he and Penny would be doing and what were the expected outcomes. She was genuinely excited, if Sheldon actually proved his theory, he would certainly earn a Nobel Prize, she would be so proud of him, if she can help him accomplish it, even if it is in the minutest way, she was happy to oblige. Having that little accomplishment on her resume would not be so bad either she thought as she dug into her dumpling. "Penny please must you eat like that?" he scoffed. She opened her mouth and flashed him some food that would shut him up for a bit.

The next two weeks were all about packing and getting her passport in order, she had never traveled outside of the US and needed a picture done. Sheldon accompanied her as to help her with the paperwork and anything difficult that might arise. He took care of all the expenses as the university was taking care of the bill.

On the night before the flight, the gang all met up at Leonard and Sheldon's apartment for a going away party, although Sheldon disliked parties immensely, he seemed to bear it quiet well. He seemed to be in a very good mood lately, he had almost caught himself whistling as he packed the last of their belongings. He had gone over everything with Penny and given her detailed diagrams and instructions, she seemed to pick it up very well. The few semesters already spent in pursuit of her degree have paid off, she has improved her vocabulary and even her questions are a lot more…logical. He smiled at the thought of Penny as a Vulcan. He looked up to see Penny looking at him, a small smile spread on her lips as well. Sheldon kept the eye contact very brief and immediately began ribbing Howard on his lack of a PhD.

Penny also noticed that Sheldon was in a very good mood lately. He was smiling and walking with a bit of a spring in his step. He must be very excited about the possibility of proving his theory. She smiled at the idea of him accepting his Nobel Prize, decked out in a new suit, picked out by her of course, sober this time and taking the time to thank not only her but his friends too. To come 180 degrees would be great for Sheldon. As she smiled she noticed him smiling at her as well. He had a beautiful smile, how she had not noticed before was strange. His eyes really sparkled blue when he smiled. She felt her cheeks flushing a bit at the secret glance they had stolen amidst all the talk of food and Halo.

They all said their goodnights and Sheldon walked Penny to her door, just going over some last minute details such as the airport, check in so on.

She turned and patted his chest. She noticed how firm his chest was. Her hand lingered a little more than normal definitely more than three Mississippi's. "Sweetie…don't worry, we will be fine."

"Penny wait" Sheldon said as she was entering her apartment.

"What is it?"

"Thank you Penny for coming with me" Sheldon said

"No problem Sweetie. You made a very logical argument."

He smiled, walking back to his apartment, touching the spot where her hand had left a warm sensation. He was going to win the Nobel Prize and he knew that with Penny's help he could do it. She had become a good student and kept him on his toes, the constant bickering, and the understanding of his quirks when no one else would. He thought about this as he lay in bed in his Friday night pajamas still softly touching the spot where her hand had lingered ever so softly. _"No problem sweetie…"_ her words echoed in his ear as he drifted off into sleep.

"Holy c-c-crap on a c-c-c-racker Sheldon it is soooo cold!" her teeth clattered as they arrived at the remote station that would house them for the next three months.

The plane ride there was a blur to Penny since she took something for motion sickness and slept almost the entire flight. Sheldon did not look too happy to have his shoulder full of drool as she stirred against it…softly murmuring every now again. Sheldon could have sworn he heard her say 'moonpie'. More than once she stretched, almost cat-like and interlocked her fingers in Sheldon's and holding his arm closer to her with her other hand. She was obviously used to doing this when she slept Sheldon thought. He did not move as to not disturb her REM cycle. He knew she was capable of becoming very violent when awoken from her sleep. He touched his nose softly remembering the jab he took from her when he tried to take back 'his precious' when she was sleeping. So he let her snuggle against him lost in slumber as he tried not to think of the germs that were making their way into his system. He tried to relax but it was useless.

As they arrived, he softly stirred Penny to waken her, she stretched and purred, which made him stifle a bit of a laugh, her eyes half opened and she smiled. Then realizing she where she was, she quickly composed herself, realizing her fingers were securely entwined with Sheldon's she stood up, releasing his hand. "Are we there yet she asked.

"Yes we have arrived…we should move quickly to get our bags as the vehicle to take us to the station is on the runway already."

"Who is driving?" she asked.

"You are" He answered.

Now as they entered the station, Penny could not help but thank God that there was what looked like a fireplace in one corner and heaters throughout. The placed at first looked like a smaller version of that station Mulder and Scully got Quarantined at when they found those worm-like things that entered at the back of the neck. Penny shivered just thinking about that gave her the willies.

Setting her bags down she looked around to take the entire place in, she was really here, and she could not help but feel excited. This was something that was so brand new for her, she had taken a big step and she immediately became nervous. She turned to see Sheldon coming in with the equipment as well as his bags, all the equipment they would need had already been sent ahead by the University. The weather was beginning to get worse as there was a storm blowing in. Night was coming fast, not much work would get done tonight she thought.

As they settled in, she noticed that there was just one bedroom, there were two sets of bunk beds. She shuffled nervously as she called out to Sheldon that they had a problem. He came up behind her and was immediately floored, he became very nervous. "This is not acceptable…I specifically asked that other arrangements be made, I will be sure to contact President Seibert immediately about this"

"Sheldon…" she tried to calm him as he started to pace back and forth, small beads of sweat were forming on his forehead, his cheeks became flushed, breathing was coming out in short bursts as he babbled on about "this is wrong" "not…what…he asked for" She realized that he was beginning to hyperventilate, she had studied this in her anatomy class last semester. She rummaged around her bag for the bottles of rum and vodka that she had smuggled in her bag that were wrapped in paper bags and took one off. She ran over to Sheldon and held the bag to his mouth as she tried to get him to sit down. As he did, he began to try to catch his breath, she found herself softly rubbing his back to try and calm him down. With her hand then on the back of his neck, she began to talk. "Sheldon are you okay sweetie…?" She found her hand was softly rubbing the base of his neck and she felt him begin to relax under her touch.

He removed the bag from his face and looked up at Penny, she removed her hand from his neck, not wanting to cause him to freak out again, she knew how much he hated being touched. She stepped back a bit and surveyed the scene.

"Yes Penny¸ I am fine." As he said this he stood up and walked out of the room, not before first neatly folding the paper bag and handing back to Penny. She threw her hands up in frustration; she would never understand Doctor Sheldon Cooper.

She unpacked and placed her things neatly in the shelves by the bed closest to the door, if it was Sheldon's spot, he had not called it, so for now, she had dibs.

He would have to share a room with Penny; this was not what he had anticipated. Yes they were friends and he had seen her naked, but sharing a room. No one was allowed in his room. He began to pace again, removing the layers of jackets as he began to get warmer even as the temperature began to drop well below freezing outside. The night had fallen already and the static over the radio spoke of a storm. He thought about calling President Seibert at the University but that would not be wise, he was already in hot water with him, after the incident in the bathroom with Kripke.

He would just have to make due, this leap into practical physics was already a stretch he would have to become the Indiana Jones of physics. I am sure he could make due. He absentmindedly wiped his brow to find it sweaty.

He turned to hear the shower turn on; he felt a stir in his stomach. He must be hungry he thought. Yet he could not bring himself to eat. He left some food out for Penny and began to work on his whiteboards. The numbers began to swirl in front of his eyes as he calculated formulas, distances, speed etc. A soft knock on the lab door had him turn around, there she stood, clad in soft Hello Kitty fleece pajama bottoms, instead of her normal shorts, she wore pants as the cold would not forgiving to her skin. She wore a tight white Doctor Who T-shirt that he had purchased for her at Comic-Con when she said she thought the Doctor looked cute. He immediately thought she looked very aesthetically appealing with small flying Tardis' on her abdomen.

"Sheldon…I made you some tea…I hope you are feeling better." She placed the cup and saucer down. "It is old families remedy tea to calm the nerves" she said.

"Thank you Penny"…truth was he really did feel like he needed to drink something warm. He softly sipped the tea, careful not to burn his tongue. The tea was delicious, it was not a brew he was familiar with, but he immediately felt better.

What Penny had not told him was that the Rum bottles she had bought had been for this same purpose, her father had an old family recipe for tea that he would give her mom when she would have a nervous spell. It was infused with rum, but the herbs masked the taste of the liquor very well.

The tea seemed to be having the desired effect. Sheldon immediately relaxed, his shoulders relaxed and he sat at the table in the center of the lab. "Penny…this tea is delicious, thank you for everything, I am so sorry that the room accommodations are not to your liking"

"That's okay Sheldon, I do not mind sharing a room with you, I did go to junior rodeo summer camp as a kid in Nebraska and we needed to share a room with 5 other girls, so I think I am good sharing it with you."

Sheldon continued to drink the tea, one gulp faster than the next; as soon as he was finished he tilted his head asking for a bit more with his eyes. "I will bring the kettle here, then I will begin to take down the notes and formulas you made, tomorrow is a big day

His eyelids became heavier, the rum was working Penny thought as she looked sideways at him as his pace in front of his whiteboards had slowed to almost a snails' pace. He spoke "Penny…I do believe that I need to go to bed, would you assist me? I appear to be feeling a bit woozy."

I told him that I imagined it was all the traveling they had done that day. She walked over to him, just as he swayed a bit she caught him right under his right arm, it was as though that crook under his arm was made just to fit her. She never felt this comfortable with any of her other suitors, especially Leonard who was all types of short.

He swayed against her, she caught the weight of him, she would have to hurry if not they would not make it to the room and he would wind up sleeping on the floor and she knows he would never let her forget that.

As she got him to his bed she sat him on the bed and he began to fall back but she managed to catch him and began to remove his shirts. She noticed his chest and shoulders were very well defined, a lot fuller than he had been in recent years, his arms still remained lean and long. She found her hand tracing softly on his arm as she quickly shook her head out of its daze. He swayed again threatening to fall back onto the bed but he managed to catch a hold of the back of her legs to hold him up. She felt how truly strong his hands were as he grasped for life to keep from falling. She slowly put his white t-shirt on then his flannel pajama top on. Making sure she closed each and every button, he occasionally looked up and met her eyes even if only half open, a brief smile forming on the corner of his mouth. As he did this she swore she felt the fingers on her legs softly swirl.

She figured she would let him fall back as it would be the easiest way to get his pajama bottoms on. She removed each shoe with care, placing them neatly underneath his bed. She then stripped him of his khaki pants and found to her surprise that he was wearing his flash briefs. She had once seen him in his underwear, now that she thought about it; it had been more than once. This was no surprise to her. She gently dressed him again which was not easy, his legs were so long and gangly. She knew it was wrong to have given him the tea, but she knew it would be the only way he would relax enough to fall asleep; however she did not think it would almost knock him out.

He hadn't eaten dinner, that's why he felt so faint. She covered him in thick blankets and made her way to her bed. Tomorrow the adventure begins.

They had worked in relative silence for a few weeks, they were making progress. All the data collected looked promising and Sheldon was almost giddy. On some evenings, she agreed to play Klingon scrabble if he agreed to watch one of her DVDs. This was written into their agreement so he had no way of getting out of it.

The storm that had blown in the first night they were there had left in its wake over 8 feet of snow, it had been cleared already letting them venture out to collect samples and run tests, on this day they were out in the mid-day sun yet it was still freezing. Sheldon looked on as Penny was collecting the samples and taking notes. He could not help but stare. Her golden hair looked even more so in the clean pristine sun and snow of the most remotes place in the world. He found himself almost sighing when he saw she was pouting her bottom lip, her calculations were not adding up. He snapped out of his reverie and walked over to her to help her; she had forgotten to carry the one, classic mistake. They both laughed and continued to work for a couple more hours outside, taking advantage of the daylight and good weather. The radio warned of another oncoming storm and they had better begin to head back if they wanted to avoid being stuck outside.

They managed to make it to the station when Penny realized that she had left her bad with the samples at the site, she began to head back. Sheldon tried to stop her but when she is determined to do something, she does it. She got back on the snowmobile and took off. Sheldon stood helpless staring off as her image got further. As he did this the snow began to fall and the sky darkened.

She had been gone too long, she was not back yet. Sheldon was pacing, it had not been more than an hour, but he knew she should have been back. He threw some tea in the thermos they had been using and took off towards the other snowmobile. He turned it on and took off in the direction the GPS was indicating, however halfway there the sight he saw caused his throat to close up and his heart almost fall out. The snowmobile had hit a snow bank they had not seen before and sprawled out on the side, with her sample bag tightly gripped in her hand, was Penny.

Penny, Penny, Penny. He acted instinctively. Like the time he helped dispose of the rocket fuel in their elevator. He jumped off the snowmobile and ran to her, he checked for a pulse and to see if anything was broken. She was not responsive but she did have a pulse, although it was not as strong as he would have liked.

He scooped her up into his arms and began to run back to the outpost. He didn't even bother to use the ill conceived snowmobile, he was back at the post within what seemed like seconds. He placed her gently in her bed. Stripping off the wet coats first and her boots, he softly tried to pry the bag of samples from her hand to allow access to remove the coat, however she instinctively clung to it even in her deep state of unconsciousness. She murmured 'no…these are Moonpie's…Nobel Prize"

A small smile found itself on the corner of Sheldon's mouth, however he suppressed it, when he saw that she was starting to run a very high fever.


	2. Fever

This was all going wrong…he paced the room, millions of thoughts crossing his beautiful mind. What was he to do? What could he do...?

_(Flashbacks….)_

_Growing up Cooper was not easy, no one liked him, and hell he doubted his own parents liked him. Even his twin sister found it tedious to be around him. Maybe that was why his daddy drank so much. Things would change when I go to college, then I will be surrounded by elite minds like mine and I can work at solving the infinite questions of the universe. Things will be different… _

_But as he stood in that empty field, his clothes stripped and his body bruised and he vowed that he would never get close to anyone and he knew there must be something wrong with him. Isn't that what they shouted at him? 'Geek! Freak!' Even she laughed as they tore his Flash t-shirt and ripped his Scooby Doo trapper. No one could ever like him let alone love him. All he had done was offered to help her with her homework, she seemed nice, and she smelled of lotus flowers. Her sweet smile made his stomach flip and heart flutter; he had never felt that, he was only 15, too young for her. Her boyfriend didn't take to kind to me tutoring her. He taught me a lesson I would not soon forget. The tears stung his cuts and he shivered in the cold of the night…No one would hurt him again; he would never let anyone get close to him again. _

"_Penny, can you hear me_?' Sheldon spoke softly. He saw her forehead was cut, her pulse was slow and her skin was on fire. His hands trembled as he cleaned her cuts. There were many scattered on her face. He softly cleaned each and every cut, careful not to hurt her even more with his long clumsy fingers that he could not keep from trembling, no matter how much he tried. It was not cold inside the room, he trembled from fear. He hadn't even bothered to put on gloves to treat her, it was Penny. "_Come on Penny, there is a lot of work to do_" he gently chided her to see if he could get a response.

There was just the shallow sound of her breathing and the crackling of the fire in the hearth. "_You're the one that supposed to defend me Penny, take care of me Penny according to our friendship agreement_" he spoke all this as a means to distract him from the other feelings creeping up, the fear he was feeling. He shuffled, right foot to left foot, before pacing the room again, what was he to do.

He placed wet towels on her head to bring the fever down. He stripped as much of her clothes as he could, careful not to look. His hands softly grazing the soft of her skin her breaths making her skin rise to meet his touch. He let his hand pause for just as second as he felt a familiar flutter in his chest. He could not let this happen again. He covered her in a clean warm blanket that his meemaw had sent him for his birthday. His fingers still felt the warmth of her skin as he touched them softly to his lips. This could not happen.

He worked tirelessly, he did not eat he did not drink, he just watched and measured to make sure she was okay. He even found himself saying a soft prayer under his breath. He sat and watched her sleep, the night blended into day into night again. The soft bristle on his face was the only indicator of time. He had run an IV to keep her hydrated and could do nothing more but wait. He began to dread the silence and solitude that had been a self-imposed companion for so many years, she needed to wake up.

He would talk to her, telling her stories of how the first IV was discovered. He told her stories of his childhood. He brushed the hair from her face and checked on her cuts, the fever still burning her soft skin, the glow from the fire framing her face like an angel.

He found he was not Superman, no matter how much he tried. As sleep finally overcame him as he sat at the side of her bed, his hand softly laying on hers. "_Soft Kitty, Warm Kitty_…"

_As the last syllables escaped his mouth, her hand gently squeezed his…_


	3. I used to live alone before I met you

_Her daddy had wanted her to be a boy for as long as she could remember. Her childhood had its shares of ups and downs, many boys crossed her path yet she did not let anyone become get too close to her. No one ever really cared to. She was laughed at back home when she talked about becoming a big star in Hollywood. The men she met here were blinded by her beauty, never caring enough to get to know the real her. Even Leonard had only been attracted to her beauty. She was pretty and that was what made them happy, but that did not make her happy. She pretended for a long time, to be a shallow empty vessel, just taking in the compliments and smiling pretty. This was not enough and when Leonard said he loved her, she wondered to herself 'why?' He couldn't know the real me. Why didn't they want to know the real me? I am more than the sum of my parts. However no one ever stuck around long enough to figure this out, was she really worthless? Was her dad right in saying she would have been better off as a boy? No one ever cared before... _

She found the only constant in her life was Sheldon; his friendship was the only steady thing in her life. The longest relationship she had ever had with a person man or woman. He was a rock, always there, in his spot. She did not have to be a different person with Sheldon, she was herself, and he accepted her with all her presumed faults. She also took him with his, the total damaged package, they were very similar, maybe not on the surface, but deep down, she knew they shared an unspoken understanding. And as her eyes fluttered open, there he was in his spot next to her, his hand softly gripped in her fingers. Her mouth was dry as she tried to speak. She looked around and saw that she was attached to an IV that was almost empty. The fire softly dying in the hearth was the only light in the room.

She looked over and saw Sheldon's head lying softly on the bed, his face covered in soft stubble of hair and dark circles adorned his eyes. She didn't know what was going on. "Sheldon…' she softly spoke although the dryness of her mouth extended to her throat that was sore.

His head shot up "Danger…Danger…Danger!"

"Sweetie, it's okay" she spoke again her voice barely a whisper.

"Penny…Dear Lord, you're awake" he exclaimed, his Texan accent suddenly prominent, it bought a smile to her face. He always sounded like his mother when he was excited. A smile spread quickly on his face, she smiled as well as best as she could.

He ran under rubber legs to fetch a cup of lukewarm water, he knew cold water would not be good for her. He softly held her head up and she drank, she moaned, her body was sore.

"Everything hurts…what happened?" she asked.

He returned to the same Sheldonesque way of answering, immediately distancing a bit from her. The smile so warm before replaced by what she interpreted as a scowl, she had seen that expression way too many times before usually if she touched his food or broke one of his rules.

"You went back to get the samples that you had forgotten against my advice" he scolded. "You must have lost control…" his voice was threatening to give him away. He pressed it down deep _'never again would I get hurt'_

She looked a bit dazed, he looked into her eyes with a light to examine her pupils and took her temperature again, and luckily the fever had broken. She shifted in the bed and began to sit up, he helped her a bit, and making sure he did not linger too much.

"Well, I will leave you to get up and dressed, I have a lot of work to do. This episode has delayed my work Penny" his voice feigning coldness. **'**_never again'_

"Okay Sheldon, but what happened, who…"

"Please Penny, you know I don't like chit-chat" he said, holding a hand up to stop her from speaking any further. He turned in his heel and left the room. She sat there bruised and confused.

He walked quickly out of the room and into his lab being careful to lock the door behind him he was barely able to finish this simple task before collapsing in tears on the floor. _'Thank you, God' _were the only words to escape his mouth as his tears flooded his hands, his feelings a mixtures of relief, confusion, anger and fear.

The days passed and Penny was finally on her feet again. She barely saw Sheldon during this time; whenever she did speak he would ask something about the figures she was analyzing. Never did a smile cross his face, even when she tried to make small talk. Soon he locked himself in his lab and would not come out until he was sure that she was asleep.

When he did eat he ate his meals in the lab and was in there almost the entire day. She was so alone and did not understand what she had done wrong. She began to think that this was the real Sheldon and that she needed to accept him how he was and that when he was ready he would come around. He was a closed system, which nothing could get in or out of. See she was learning her physics.

Sheldon was a man driven, the whiteboards in his lab were not enough to write on, his formulas began to get scribbled on the walls of the lab, he would get the numbers right. He was so close. He barely ate and he avoided her as much as he could. He would sometimes find himself holding his fingers to his lips remembering the warmth they held, like a long distant memory of a life that may have been, but could not be. That life had to belong to someone else, not to him. He was damaged, he was a freak.

All the work he gave her, she did, no questions asked, he was prepared to scold her for numbers being inverted or miscalculated, but they were carefully done, each and every time. She would make sure to give him no reason to keep ignoring her. She had not seen him in weeks; he wasn't even sleeping in his bunk. She would find the work in the morning on her desk and she would leave them there for him per his instructions.

She had to admit she missed working alongside him, missed his stolen glances when he thought she wasn't looking. She was sure he was just checking to see if she was doing whatever task he assigned her correctly. There were only a few weeks left to their expedition and she did not know if he was okay, if he was close to finding the answer he was looking for. Not knowing how he was made her anxious. As she looked around the lab in an effort to find something to distract her, she found a television monitor and decided she would watch a movie. She rummaged her backpack and pulled out her copy of Pride and Prejudice (the long one with Colin Firth…yummy she thought, she loved the tall ones, the dark hair)

But as she looked around to find the disk drive, punching random buttons she found something playing on the monitor. She saw video of Sheldon running into the station with her in his arms; snow covering most of his legs, her face was pale. Penny realized she was watching surveillance video of the station. She instinctively looked around to see small round devices stuck to the ceiling like the ones in the supermarkets, how had she had not noticed before is beyond her.

She watched as he lay her down and paced nervously, she adjusted the sound, placing the headphones she had taken from her backpack over her ears she listened intently as Sheldon spoke.

"_Penny can you hear me?" _his voice cracked as he leaned down to see is she would awaken. Penny sat there in silence watching the events of those days unfold before her. She listened again to hear the stories of his childhood and random observations he had made. She watched as his hand lay softly on her skin and how he drew it back tentatively. She heard him whisper that he would fix her. Tears slowly welled in her eyes as she heard him whisper softly a prayer. Listening she could hear his silent whispers to her, willing her to wake. She watched him take care of her, never leaving her side, softly brushing the hair from her face careful not to hurt her face.

She listened to "_soft kitty…" _

Then she saw him run from the room into his lab and collapse onto the floor, a man broken and in tears softly sobbing and whispering inaudible prayers.

Penny covered her mouth as she silently sobbed '_No one ever really cared before' _


	4. Chapter 4

The Artic Revisited: Part Four

_****Thank you all for your kind reviews, I apologize that I have made you wait for this next chapter, as I told Jislane, I write papers for college students and I do get a bit bogged down at times, so thank you for your patience. Like always I appreciate your constructive criticisms, this is meant to be fun and I would hope we could keep it as such. I don't own the characters or the words brilliantly written by Mr. Bob Dylan. I usually never write songs into my stories, but this song has been on the radio a lot and it is very close to my own heart. I thought I would make it a special part of Penny and Sheldon's story. Thanks again, Love you all!****_

I could offer you a warm embrace

To make you feel my love

When the evening shadows and the stars appear

And there is no one there to dry your tears;

I could hold you for a million years

To make you feel her love.

I know you haven't made up your mind yet

But I would never do you wrong

I have known from the moment that we met

There is no doubt in my mind where I belong

No there is nothing that I wouldn't do

I'd go hungry; I'd go black and blue

I'd go crawling down the avenue; there isn't anything I wouldn't do

To make you feel my love, to make you feel my love

If I could make you happy, make your dreams come true,

there isn't anything I wouldn't do, go to the ends of the earth for you,

To make you feel my love.

Lyrics: Bob Dylan

**Penny POV**

He made a noise behind her, just a small rustle; she though she felt him more than she heard him. She leapt from her seat and immediately ran to him. He turned away, she reached out a hand out to touch his shoulder, and he shivered a bit under her touch. She was speechless. She didn't know what to say. There were so many things running through her head, so many emotions. In the last few moments she had watched him care for her. There he had been, Sheldon, the person everyone thinks only cares about himself, who has no empathy, _caring for her_…_praying for her_…_singing to her_…_crying for her_. No one had ever done this for her before. Her heart ached; she knew he needed to know how much this meant to her.

"Sheldon" she spoke softly, the quiet of the hall still made her voice reverberate. She spoke even softer, barely a whisper "Sweetie, please turn around"

"Penny, I don't know what you saw, but let me assure you that…" his voice was shaky; it didn't hold the same condescending tone that it normally did. "I need to get back to work…with you being ill-disposed, I have gotten behind and there is this problem that I cannot figure out…" his voice choked up the last bit. He still didn't look at me when he spoke.

Before he could say anymore, she turned him to face her. He kept his eyes on the floor. She put her hand on his cheek, he only flinched slightly. She kept her hand on his face and he looked up at her, the fight gone from his eyes, replaced by fear. "Penny…"

"Thank you Sheldon…thank you for taking care of me." She rubbed her thumb softly on his cheek, he opened his mouth to say something, but low and behold the mighty Sheldon that always had something to say, was at a loss for words. She smiled softly at him.

She rose up slightly on her tippy toes and kissed him softly on his cheek. His eyes widened and he pulled back from her, staring at her with fear in his eyes and without a word. He turned and locked himself in his lab.

**Sheldon POV**

Why had she done that? What did she think it would accomplish? Didn't she understand that there was a mystery in this universe that he needed to figure out? However lately, Sheldon knew the mystery that had him the most confused was right outside the door. He looked back at the door.

"_**Never again…Mommy I'm cold"**_

Why had she become so important to him? Sheldon paced the room, his long fingers grazing the still blazing kiss on his cheek. His hair was disheveled and he had not shaved in days. The stubble that adorned his face was not unlike the one he had last time he was here. Last time she wasn't here, he thought.

"_**I'm Penny…I work at the Cheesecake Factory"**_

There were just a couple of weeks left here, he was sure that he could go all this time without speaking to or seeing her. He had to do it. He was different. Didn't she see that? Didn't she see that he never had any friends? That he wasn't loved…well not by anyone but his Meemaw and his mother? His ticks, his remarks, his obsessive tendencies, surely all of these things were enough to drive anyone away. She almost died, he almost lost her. He closed his eyes and imagined what this universe would be without her in it, for the first time, he could not picture it. In his universe Penny was always there, she was his constant. What did that mean? Every so often he would jott something on the whiteboard, and when he ran out of space there, he wrote on the wall. He wrote some more on the walls, when his markers ran dry, he used his fingers, the cuts would heel, his formulas were important. The numbers needed to make sense.

"_Give her friend his stuff back"_

Penny had been there for him, even when his other friends had not. Why was that? Is this what a friendship is really about? Should I be doing the same? I mimicked her behavior as I cared for her, I imagined that was how she would treat someone…she cared about. I mean she went back for her research…our research, because he was sure that anything that came out of this would bear her name as well. She had been dedicated. His pacing picked up paced as he ran his hand through his hair, glancing at the door.

_**Sheldon: Will you sing Soft Kitty to me?**_

_**Penny: Soft Kitty, Warm Kitty, Little Ball of Fur, Happy Kitty, Sleepy Kitty, Purr, Purr, Purr**_

Sheldon felt dizzy…the sound of her voice singing was so real in his mind…no it wasn't in his mind, she was singing to him. Wasn't she? Or had sweet madness taken him over?

**Penny POV**

She waited. She knew he needed time. So, just as her namesake had waited, patiently and faithfully for her husband Odysseus, so did Penny wait. Days passed. She didn't eat, she didn't sleep.

She had been watching him pacing in that lab by way of the closed circuit camera that was positioned in there to record experiments for posterity. She saw him pacing and speaking erratically.

She doesn't think he has slept anything at all, because she hasn't slept either, she has been watching her friend with the beautiful mind descending into madness…and there was nothing she could do…or was there?

She walked over to the door and saw that it had a communicator on the outside like the ones on Star Trek. She tried speaking to him, reminding him of when they met, when she helped him get his ostrich 'Glen' from that Todd Zarnecki. She reminded him of the times she would sing for him 'Soft Kitty' anything that would keep him grounded.

Finally she thought she would try something else…

'Here goes nothing" Penny thought. She had been taking voice lessons along with her acting lessons after her fiasco with 'Rent'. She knew she would have to sing to Sheldon when he was sick (and that was often) so she wanted to make sure her voice sounded as good as it could get. She knew she could not compare to the singers of today, but she hoped he would know that these words came from her heart, because she did love Sheldon, he was her best friend and if turned into more, she was definitely ready for it. Her dad used to sing this song to her mom when he thought we weren't around. She pressed the button and leaned her face close…

"_When the rain is blowing in your face, and the whole world on your case, I can offer you a warm embrace, to make you feel my love…I could hold you for a million years…I know you haven't made your mind up yet, I would never do you wrong… I could make you happy make your dreams come true. There is nothing I wouldn't do, go to the ends of the earth for you, to make you feel my love"_

The tears streamed down her face as she sung the last words. Her hands leaning softly on the door, her tears and words pleading, pulling, willing Sheldon out of his abyss.

"Sheldon honey, please…come back to me. You can't leave me alone here" Penny cried.

"Whatever it is, we can figure it out together…" Penny cried into the microphone.

She ran over to the display monitor, she saw Sheldon; he was standing near the door, his hand tracing where Penny was just leaning.

"Honey, I know you can hear me. I know you are scared, but I am okay now. You did that, you saved me. Please come out here."

When she got back to the monitor, panic filled her every cell…Sheldon was on the floor and he was shaking…something was wrong. "I have to get into that room…._**now!"**_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I do not own the characters; I merely borrow them for some fun…thank you all for your kind reviews. Just a quick note, I noticed that these are new members, there is really no need to correct a slight spelling mistake in the review, and this is normal when you don't have a beta and also when you are just having fun. I would imagine that you are not reading this to correct work like a teacher grading a book report. You should be enjoying the context and the story, please do so. If you do not like the story or if something bothered you so much you need to tell me, please due me the respect of sending me a private message. As always for my funky faithful… This chapter is a bit short, but I did not want to leave Sheldon in limbo.

_Penny: Hi_

_Sheldon: Hello_

_Penny: Hi _

…_._

_Penny: So you are one of those beautiful mind genius guys?_

_Sheldon: Yeah…_

…

_Penny: Come sit next to me…_

_Sheldon: If it was only that easy…_

…_._

_Sheldon: She is cheating…I don't know how she is doing it…but no one can be that attractive and that skilled at video games._

…_.._

_Penny: I love him but he is a whack-a-doodle_

…_.._

_Sheldon: Woman you are playing with forces beyond your ken_

_Penny: Well your Ken can kiss my Barbie_

…

_Penny: Sheldon…help!_

_Sheldon: hi…_

_Penny: I think I dislocated my shoulder_

_Sheldon: Tubs are slippery_

_Penny: is that my arm?_

_Sheldon: It doesn't feel like an arm_

_Sheldon: There, there, Sheldon is here_

_Penny: Sheldon you have to get me into bed..tee hee_

_Penny: You are like Wal-E, so full of love and you can help fat people get off their floaty chairs_

_Sheldon: I appreciate the sentiment_

_Penny: Sing soft kitty to me_

_Sheldon:…Purr Purr Purr _

…

_Sheldon: Sing soft kitty to me_

_Penny: I don't know that song_

_Sheldon: I will teach you…._

…

And he _had_ taught her that song. Every time he had been sick since, she had crooned it for him and rubbed Vapor Rub on his chest and cared for him. Now she had to do something because behind that door her friend, her Wal-E, her Sheldon, was suffering and it tore a hole in her heart.

She ran over to the fire axe and broke it out of its case. She immediately started breaking the door down. The handle would slip in her hands and the shards of wood from the door and the axe began to cut her hands but you would not know that from the look of grim determination on her face. Soon enough she had enough door broken away to stick her blood soaked hand through to unlock the door.

Opening the door was tougher than she imagined because Sheldon's body was leaning against it on the floor from where he had fallen. His seizures were subsiding but he was unconscious. With extra care she softly pushed the door open, making sure she would not hurt him.

She fell to her knees next to him, she wiped the blood from her hands on her pants, and she grimaced as some of the splinters cut deeper. Recalling all she had learned in her CPR/First Aid class that Sheldon had made her take before their trip. He wanted to make sure that she could take care of anything should something happen because she knew how he felt about blood. He had a gash on his forehead, very similar to the one she had gotten. Battle scars she thought.

She checked his vitals and assessed his condition. His tongue was in no danger of being swallowed and his breathings, while being labored, was starting to steady a bit. She retrieved the first-aid kit from the lab's closet and started to gently treat the gash. Carefully she ran her fingers over the cut with a disinfectant gel, removing them only to replace them with a soft bandage. She would tend to her hands later, this was more pressing.

She placed his head in her lap and pushed the long strands of hair that were covering his face. She pressed her lips to his cold forehead.

"Can you hear me Sheldon?" She spoke softly.

"Sweetie…its Penny" There was no response. She caressed his cheek.

"I really need you to wake up honey" She ineffectively fought the tears that were welling up in her eyes. They welled over and some fell to his face. He still didn't move. She placed small kisses on his face, willing him with her kisses to come back to her.

She remembered the kit and began to dig out the smelling salts and with a flick of her wrist they were opened. She waved them under his nose. He began to stir a little…

His eyes fluttered a bit…he was trying to focus on his surroundings, as he did he felt someone holding his head. He felt a hand pressed to his chest, the other smoothing his hair.

"Sheldon baby…can you hear me?"

"Penny..."

"Yeah baby…it's me…I got you now"

"_have _you"

She laughed a little laugh, even like this he wanted to correct her grammar. He was back.

"I know I should have said 'have'..." He cut her off though.

"No Penny…can _I _have you too?"

She heart fluttered and she smiled at his sweet words but before she could even answer his eyes were closed again and he drifted to sleep.

She stayed there with him for hours, her back against the half broken door, and his head in her lap, and they slept together, for the first time.


	6. Chapter 6

_I do not own the characters, this is just for fun. To my funky faithful…thanks for the reviews and your patience…_

_Chapter 6 _

Sheldon POV

He stirred, he felt something soft under his head. It was throbbing slightly, but it was quiet for just a moment. He had softly laid his hand atop of the one that was on his chest hovering right above his heart. As his eyes completely opened he saw he was on the ground. He tasted cotton, his mouth was so dry. He took a moment to look up and see Penny sitting against the wall asleep, her hand still at the base of his head, the hand he had clasped in his dreams had been hers. He looked down and saw that even as he thought it, his hand still lay there on hers. Her hands were not big at all; they actually looked quite small compared to his. He traced his index finger over the back of her fingers and hand, memorizing the path they made, writing his own formula on her. Then he noticed the bits of dried blood. He slowly turner her hand over and saw the damage that his temporary lunacy had caused. He saw his own fingers, and the damage that was on them as well. Shame filled his entire self. He had put her in danger.

He slowly got up and surveyed the madness, the room spun around him, the unfamiliar scrawling on the walls, the numbers and symbols began to jumble all around and he closed his eyes tightly and shook it off. Everything was different.

'_When the rain is blowing in your face'_

He bent slowly and placed his hand underneath her legs, the other under her neck and lifted her to his chest.

'_And the whole world is on your case' _

He tightened his grip as he pulled her closer, he didn't want to drop his precious cargo. She looked up at him through half closed eyes. He smiled.

'_I could offer you a warm embrace'_

She threw her arms over his neck and shoulder and held him close. He took her to their room and gently laid her on her bed. As he did she held on to him a bit longer, her face close to his, her lips brushing his ear. '_Baby…' _she whispered, his entire body shivered. No sooner had she said it that her embrace loosened and her head fell back onto the pillow.

'_To make you feel my love' _

He stood and looked down at her, the longs locks of her cascading around her face and onto the pillow. He removed her shoes, as gentle as he could, he slipped his fingers into the waist of her pants and slipped them off, they were full of blood and debris, and he did not want her to sleep this way. He replaced them with a long pair of sweats she would often wear on cold nights; he had noticed that, but why?

He retrieved the first-aid kit from the lab; he found it on the ground near where they had slept. Just seeing the room in that kind of disarray, made his skin crawl, he would have to do something about it, but first he had to tend to her cuts. He carefully cleaned each one of her hands, carefully removing any bits of door that had remained, washing away the evidence of the turmoil of the night before. His fingers, that were themselves damaged, carefully covered each cut with ointment. She stirred a little under his touch, he lightened his touch as he wrapped her hands in gauze, and all the while his eyes never left her. What had happened? He knew he was unable to process what he had seen, she had seen him. He could not believe what he was seeing either, even with his eidetic memory, he knew what he had done those days she was ill, but it is as though they were only meant for him to see. What had she thought? Would she mock him like others had? He had not always been this robot, he had feelings once. He felt them stir again in the pit of his stomach as his heart skipped a little beat remembering

'_Hi'_

That was all it took. He had been hooked to her constant. He did everything he could to distance himself from her looks her nonsense. Sometimes…he slipped…even Spock was part human…

'_No one can be that attractive and that skilled at a video game'_

He brushed the strand of hair from her forehead, running his finger over the small bandage that remained, simultaneously he touched his own. He had never been this close to someone before that was not family. The panic that filled him when he locked himself in the lab was fueled by the idea that he might lose her friendship. He could not see his life working without her constant enthusiasm and sunshine. She was so unlike anyone else that he had ever known. She had gotten him to do so many things he would never have done before. He saw he was a different person with her around, he wanted to be better for her, he wanted to not shy away from the smiles and the outward displays of emotion she was known for. With this he realized that he had never been more afraid in his life.

'_I could hold you for a million years' _

He cleaned up the lab and erased the images of madness and uncertainty from the visage of the station. He would never mention what happened again. I am sure she would ask, but he would be prepared with an answer. He needed to get control of all he was…feeling. Yes feeling, because this had nothing to do with logic or sense, this was something else.

'_To make you feel my love'_

She had sung to him, a song he had heard before, but it was not the same song she had sung to him when he was sick. He had heard this and it had pulled him from the spin his tired mind had taken. It was her voice whispering those words to him from somewhere outside his reality. Calling him to her, he had run to her and his body betrayed him, which is when everything went black.

'_But I would never do you wrong' _

He had felt her caresses on his face and hair, the soft kisses on his face. The tears falling from her eyes traced paths on his cheeks, her voice calling him, '_baby'_. He was drowning in formulas, symbols, numbers, equations, and struggled to go to the voice that beckoned him. Was it him she was calling? Was it for him that she cried these tears? 'Don't cry' he said in his silent conversation to her. Didn't she hear him?

'_I've known it from the moment that we met. No doubt in my mind where you belong' _

She said she had me. Had she caught him? Had he fallen into her arms? There was nowhere else he wanted to be. He gasped, catching his breath, the darkness faded away, and the green of her eyes lit his path, _'Can I have you too?'_ he whispered to her. Had she heard him?


	7. Chapter 7

_**I do not own the characters, this is just for fun. To my funky faithful…thanks for the reviews and your patience…**_

Chapter 8

She blinked a few times, she found herself wrapped in a clean blanket, and it smelled of fabric softener. She raised her hand to her face instinctively to wipe the sleep away and found that her hands were carefully bandaged. The soft while cloth wrapped neatly around her palm and her fingers, the smell of ointment invaded her senses, the sight of her hand turned her thoughts to Sheldon.

Before she could rise from the bed, she saw him standing in the doorway of the room, a mug of tea in his hand, his face was in shadow as the light from the hall illuminated his back.

"Sheldon…" she asked softly. "Are you okay sweetie?"

"You called me baby…" is all he said. His voice was no higher than a whisper. And with this he turned around and walked out of the doorway.

Penny let her head fall back into the pillow, she didn't know if it was day or night, all she knew was that she was stiff and needed to pee. She also had someone she desperately needed to talk to. Sheldon had heard her. In whatever state of delirium or madness he was in, he heard her. She did not regret that he had heard her; she just worried that it would change the paradigm of their friendship. _Paradigm? _He was definitely rubbing off on her. She lay there and let the reality of her situation envelope her.

She reasoned that she was worried because she had always had lousy relationships; they tended to crash and burn. She believed it had to do with her fear of commitment. She had not accomplished anything of importance and an internal voice yelled at her to 'get out!' while she still could. So before things got too serious, she would bolt out of a relationship, leaving a trail of broken hearts along the way. This had happened with Leonard too, just a lot earlier than she expected, as he popped the 'L' word very early on in their relationship and it caught her off guard. She just had always felt that she was not good enough for anyone to love her.

She decided that with whatever was going on with her and Sheldon, she would take things slow this time. She was not going to risk hurting him, or getting hurt herself again by winding up alone and friendless. He meant too much to her. It was at his gentle suggestion that she decided to return to school. His support, although brazen at times, was just what she needed to kick her into gear, he gave her a purpose. She felt like a woman in his presence, it wasn't about her looks; he wanted her to better herself for her not for anyone else.

She got up and haphazardly made the bed. After a long shower (she had to use her shower caps to cover her hands) she dressed and headed to the kitchen. She was famished. She noticed it was about 1pm. She looked over to the lab and saw that the door was open. Sheldon had washed all the walls and the place looked spotless, except for the hole on the door, there was no sign of what had happened in that room. A quick look at her laptop let her know that a couple of days had passed; it seems she was a lot more tired than she imagined. She made herself some coffee and a sandwich.

She slowly made her way to the office but saw that Sheldon was not there. A quick glance at the front door and she saw his coat was missing, he was out there alone. She abandoned the idea of eating, well not before scarfing down half the sandwich and headed for the door. She threw on her boots and coat and began to open the door when Sheldon came in from the storm. His cheeks were almost blood red and the hair that stuck out from his hood was covered in snowflakes. He had shaved and his face looked like a cherry.

"Honey you should not be out there alone" she said as she wildly swatted away the snow from his coat.

"Penny, I am more than capable of collecting a few samples on my own, I also did not want to disturb your sleep. It seems you needed it just as much as I did" he took off his coat and shook his hair causing small snowflakes to splash penny a bit. She shivered and closed the door.

'Did you sleep as long?' Penny asked.

"I slept for a full 32 hours, this was after I had placed you in your bed and tended to your wounds." He looked up gesturing to her hands with his face.

"Yeah I meant to say thank you when you were at the door but you left so quickly"

"Well I wanted to let you rest some more and grab some more samples before the coming storm makes it impossible for us to collect any viable data."

"Wow, is the storm really that bad Sheldon?" She could see from the little windows that were there that they sky was completely grey and that the wind was picking up. Snow was whipping onto the side of the station, making it sound like hail. She remembered as a child the storms that would hit Omaha, she knew this was different; it still scared her a bit.

"They spoke to me from the NOAA and they advised that we should be evacuated, however the window to leave safely passed while we were sleeping. There is nothing we can do except to 'ride out the storm'." Sheldon said a smirk gracing his face, as if upset he shook his head.

It was funny anytime Sheldon tried to use common vernacular, he sounded like what she must have sounded like when she rattled off some memorized information about Leonard's work. She smiled softly "Are you okay with that Sheldon? Will we be okay?" she wanted to sound confident, but she knew this could get ugly real soon.

"Penny, I have an IQ of a 187, I think I am more than capable of keeping us safe."

"Well what does your beautiful mind tell you now _genius_?" Penny said as the power went out and they stood in the darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

_**I do not own the characters; I am just playing with them for a while. For my funky faithful here is another chapter of the misadventures of Sheldon and Penny….I love the reviews they will be treated like the yummy Lemonheads that keep me writing! _

Chapter 8

"Oh great, Sheldon!" Penny exclaimed a little harsher than she wanted to. She immediately felt colder, it's incredible what your mind will do.

"Well Penny, even a superior intellect like me cannot control the weather, yet…" he said as he shifted a bit in place.

Within a few moments the emergency lights above the exits came on bathing the room in an iridescent glow. It looked like a grimy film from the 70's, it looked like they were inside a lava lamp, and all that was missing was the shag carpet.

"Sheldon, why isn't the generator kicking in?' Penny wondered. The information and schematic that Sheldon had her memorize before their trip said there was a backup generator and that it should automatically start should main power be lost.

"You may need to go and see what is wrong, Penny" Sheldon answered with a small wave of his hand.

"What do you mean by 'you'"? She inquired. She knew what he meant, but she would be damned if she was going to go on her own, she had seen 'The Thing' bad things always happened in a blackout in the middle of the Arctic, to the one that goes to check on the generator.

"You listen to me Sheldon; you will put your jacket back on and come with me to the generator room…

"But Penny as the lead of this expe..."

"_Now!_ Sheldon, I am not going out there alone"

"Oh, okay" he huffed a little as he answered. She smiled a little, she could almost see him stomp his foot a little as he went to get the emergency kit.

She threw on her coat and hat and headed in the direction of the generator, Sheldon was tagging a little too far behind for her, she stopped and shoved him a bit in front of her. She knows she acts brave when its Rodeo time or when it's time to kill a spider, but this was different. She had seen too many horror movies.

"Penny…there is no need to shove' even as he said this he slowed his walk to stay at her pace, seemed he was just as afraid of the dark as she was.

"Sheldon…are you afraid of the dark?" she smiled a bit as she said this.

'N-no Penny, there is no reason to be, the dark is just an absence of light, the space there remains unchanged" he wasn't too convinced of his explanation.

"I think you are scared…" she poked a finger to his side, he giggled. Seems he was ticklish.

"Stop it Penny" he tried to sound angry, grasping his side a bit. She wanted to lighten the mood since the last few weeks had been a bit of a nightmare.

'What is it Moonpie…are you ticklish too?" she reached out again, she was just able to put her hands on his side when he grabbed her arms at her wrists. She was laughing, he was trying not to. "Penny…don't call me Moonpie"

His eyes were so bright in the dim light of the hall. He didn't immediately let her hands go. You see it wasn't touching that Sheldon had a problem with, it was the germs, and since he hand been here with Penny so long, I think he knew she was safe to hold.

"So what am I allowed to call you Shelly?" she asked.

"Penny, you can call me Sheldon, or if you prefer Doctor Cooper"

She wiggled her hands a bit in his grip. "Are those the _only _choices?" she batted her eyes a bit and stuck her bottom lip out a bit. She wanted him to smile. She softened his grip a bit and turned his gaze away, she could almost see a shade of pink cross his face.

"Well you could call me…" Sheldon began to say something when there was a loud clanking noise from the generator room and as if on cue Penny screamed and wrapped her arms around Sheldon burying her face in his chest. He didn't push her off him. He did however position himself as if to protect her from whatever the sound was that came from beneath them in the generator room. She imagined he was also scared because he was shivering and she could feel his heartbeat drumming through his coat. She didn't immediately let go, feeling him close to her felt right, even if just fleeting, he didn't know what to do with his hands they were just kind of hovering over her, not really knowing what he should do. She just knew she was scared as shit. It did not take her long to realize that he was standing protectively against her, his body was warm one arm wrapped around her shoulders, tentatively at first but then he sighed as he held her close.

"prrrr' was the only sound he made.

S-POV

Did he just let out a purr? Oh dear Lord. He immediately felt more confident. He felt her small, warm body shivering against him, as he put his arm against her he felt her pull closer to him, her body against his, sweet friction if only for a moment. Something in him stirred the warmth of her body flushed against him seemed to awaken every nerve of his body.

Her head was just below his chin, he could smell the sweet smell that was only Penny. He knew he could not hold her like this much longer and still be in control. There was so much going on inside him, he found himself shifting his hips away a bit before she would have a chance to feel the his biological reaction to their closeness.

"Somehow I think you're the one that was scared?" he asked trying to suppress the groan that was building in his throat.

"Hmmm no Moonpie, I just held out to protect you" Penny lied coyly as she pulled her face from his chest and looked up at him, her eyes meeting his, her bottom lip was pouted out a bit, her tongue darted out slowly as she moistened it, never removing her eyes from his.

He didn't even think he remembered why they were there, all he was focused on was her lips and how softly her tongue had glided across that pouted lip he had grown to find very aesthetically pleasing and he wondered what it would feel like on his tongue. What it would taste like? Would it taste like the strawberry gloss he saw her apply every morning? Or would it taste of something else? He needed to know if what he was feeling, this uncertainty, this odd craving to know if she tasted like the sunshine she that surrounded her when she smiled at him, or if she tasted like the fire and heat she showed whenever they argued. He needed to know this was not just a result of their proximity. So taking a page out of one of the chick flicks as Howard called them that Penny and Raj made him watch, he set out to test his hypothesis. He threaded lightly as he had no idea, in practice that is, how to go about doing this.

He leaned his head down slightly, as he did he felt her arms tighten a bit around him, this wasn't fear anymore (well not the fear from before) this was something else, her hands on his back lowered a bit as she pulled his hips towards her more. The sensation that shot through him burned when she did this and he almost lost his will to proceed then, his mind almost shut down as the biological affects she was having on him were very obvious to both of them as she moved her hips against him, slow and intense. He leaned down and got closer to her mouth, the soft scent of strawberry and vanilla enveloped him, the hand that wasn't around her shoulder found its way to ghost over the side of her head, afraid to touch her, his finger touching slightly the bandage on her forehead, the twin of his own, his stare intensified and even in the dim emergency lights he could see her eyes as he got closer he felt her body flush and her breasts move up and down against his chest as the rate of breathing increased this almost pushed him over the edge and he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in and closed in as his lips slowly ghosted hovering above hers he whispered "_Don't call me moonpie"_. With that he turned and headed into the generator room.


	9. Chapter 9

**I do not own the characters, this is just for fun.** To my funky faithful and to my new readers, I thank you for your kind words. And for those who just add the story to their favorites, thank you as well! _Its time these two started to have a little banter and fun don't you think?_ This is a short chapter, but I thought I would give you a little to get started…

Chapter Nine

Breathe Sheldon…he tried to compose himself as his knees almost gave out as he entered the generator room. What had he done? She would surely be upset at this play on his part. He was wondering how long it would be until she burst into the small room and let her have it.

Why had he done that?

_You know why you did it_

Well yes I know why I did it, but why did I need to do it.

_Don't tell me you didn't like the feel of her against you, pulling you closer, and the heat coming of her body… _

I have never had the need to prove my theories; I have always been content with knowing the numbers are correct.

_Penny is not a number now is she? _

No she isn't.

_What is she then? _

She is my friend and my colleague on this expedition.

_Come on man, when are you going to admit to yourself that you did everything you could to make sure she came with you? That from the first time you saw her there was a new variable thrown into your formula and that you would never be the same? When are you going to admit to yourself that Penny is so much more than that? Much like your beloved Nobel Prize, she is also within reach yet you don't just put 2 +2 together and just reach out for it and for her…You could finally feel happy, knowing someone loves you for you. And should I mention that it took everything in your mighty 187IQ brain to keep from pushing her up against that wall….She knows and accepts you with all your mountain of crazy...which I think turns her on a bit..._

Be quiet and don't be ridiculous. What if she didn't feel the same as he did? Lord knows he didn't even know what he was feeling. He hated arguing with himself because he knew he was always right. It did take him all the willpower he had to keep from actually kissing her. Sure he HAD been kissed, however he had never initiated the ritual. He feared that he would freeze and be left at her mercy. He would not have known what to do next, this was Penny. She had experience, what if she laughed at him? What if he was inadequate? He paced the tiny room which wasn't easy since the generator took up most of it. It felt like hours had passed and he steadied himself a bit by beginning to examine the generator.

_Fine, but don't complain when I say I told you so…_

His head lifted at the sound of the door opening, before he could say anything Penny closed the door behind them, and just looked at him. She had a calm look on her face, but her eyes told a whole other story..._What fresh hell have you opened up?_

P-POV

She could feel his arm tighten around her shoulder; he was actually trying to protect her. That was a big step for him, considering he was afraid of spiders. She doesn't know why she got so scared, but she had. Now he was protectively holding her close to him, she tightened her grip around his chest. His breathing seem to stop and then came out a bit more ragged as he chided her again for being the one that was scared.

She looked up with her go to pout; it seemed to work for her before. She called him Moonpie and made up an excuse. As she met his eyes, this wasn't the scared physicist she had known, something had changed, that groan that sounded a lot like a purr when her arms went around him was instinctively animal and she didn't need a PhD to know that the closeness was affecting him in all sorts of good ways.

Hellooooo Dr. Cooper, he shifted a bit, but not before she noticed, he was aroused at her touch. She let out a breath and he came closer to her. She pulled him closer to her body, feeling his lean (albeit muscular) body against hers, oooh sweet friction. He was leaning into her, was he going to kiss her?

He ran a long finger delicately over the bandage on her forehead, he tilted his head and she could smell the sweet smell of mint tea on his breath as he came closer, never taking his eyes off hers, they were burning a hole right through her, her body was on fire, the tingling in her body became electric as he ghosted her mouth before saying _"don't call me Moonpie"_

That was it, the next second he was in the generator room and she stood there '_What the frak!'_

What a little tease. Was this his way of testing her? Or was he testing his homo novus status? Her breath was ragged; the tingling in her loins was doing a number on her. She actually had to lean up against the wall. This was Sheldon; he wasn't supposed to make her wobbly. However it took a moment as she steadied herself on the wall. She never thought she would feel like this. She felt like she was a teenager crushing over a boy.

Well whatever it was, she was going to win. She wasnt one to run from a challenge, she knew how to steer em' in and Sheldon was no different, fine he was a little deer but she was going to make sure she laid out enough bait to have him come to her. He had thrwon down a challenge and she will gladly accept. She could still feel him against her, her thighs ached a bit, it had been a long time, but she could hold out. He had been just as turned on, how he was able to pull back and walk away really left her head spinning. It was on, she was going to make him purr alright.

She was going to do her own little experiment with Doctor Cooper. If he is so stubborn to admit he feels something, she is just going to have to tease it out of him. She composed herself a bit and made her way into the generator room….

S-POV

Any other person, Sheldon might not have noticed the tiny spark in her eye. He knew her too well, she got the same spark when she kept me from doing my wash. I am in big trouble, his gulp was almost auditory. She seemed very calm considering, maybe he was wrong, and she must not have thought anything of it.

Then he saw it. The corner of her mouth, it slowly curled up a bit and her eyes were alive.

Oh no… he had done it this time. He had unleashed the beast or so to speak.

He coughed a bit, it was a nervous cough he could not help, it just escaped his throat as he saw her walk closer to him, her walk was deliberate, her hips moved almost harmoniously, he fought to not look at her. She took her coat off, the shirt pressed against her, leaving her midriff slightly exposed, her sweats hung just right on her hips, she walked passed him and pulled the flashlight from his hands, she pushed her sleeves up and looked into the generator's engine, the generator room was very small, and the generator centered in the middle took up most of it, it left just a small path to walk around it. As she took the flashlight she brushed past him, the contact with her body shot a burning sensation through his body, he could not help but shudder a bit.

"Did you figure out what was wrong?" she asked her voice soft and hushed, as she asked she leaned over the generator by steping on the railing that circled the huge generator as to gain leverage, he could not keep from shifting one foot from another nervously, the close proximity of her body to his was a mere inches

_Oh my look at her, just reach out and touch her_

He shook his mental dialogue off; he stood nervously as Penny was having trouble adjusting the valve.

"Sheldon, I am going to need you to lean over and hold the flashlight so I can remove this valve that is clogging the gas line"

"Penny how do you propose I do that, from this angle the only way that I could hold it would be to be hovering over the generator and we both know I have not invented something to do that yet…"

"You can just lean over me from back there Doctor… step up on the railing" She peaked over her shoulder a bit as she said this, looking for his reaction.

"That is unless you want us to keep warm the way you and the boys did last time you were here" she stifled a giggle as she finished this in her sultriest voice. She was teasing him.

_Tough choice…what are you going to do now genius, I don't mind freezing a bit…._

"Ahem" he coughed again, his face flushing at the thought of lying naked with her, even if it was for warmth.

"Well if I must to ensure we do not die"

"Oh yeah…ask him to lay naked with the guys and he is all over that, ask him to do it with me and he is freaking out" [1]

With that he took his coat off which was causing him additional discomfort considering the position he was in, he checked himself and then he stepped up onto the railing, his feet parallel to Penny's on either side and leaned his long frame over her back. He tried to position himself so he would not lean against her hips but he kept falling sideways, "Moonpie that isn't going to work you have to just lean over the top, I cannot see and these valves are cutting into my hand!" she said. He saw no choice, he moved around the back of her and let his hips came to lay flush against hers and as he positioned himself better to hold the flashlight, his other hand hovered a bit, not knowing what to do. She moved slightly as she worked the valve causing her buck back a bit against him. He bit down to stifle a moan…

"Hurry Penny, I do not know I can hold this position."

P-POV

Homo novus my ass! Penny-1 Sheldon-1

_[1] This is a slight rewording of a classic Cordelia Chase line from the 'Waiting in the Wings' episode of 'Angel'._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Wait Sheldon…what's wrong?" she asked coyly, sweetness and sass dripping from her mouth. "I think I got the generator working...don't you want to help me?"

He stood with his back to her. He could not let her see him; his arousal was more than obvious.

"Woman you have no idea what you are doing" he whispered.

_Just turn around and tell her. _

She worried, not knowing why he wouldn't turn around, she feared she might have pushed him too far.

"_Baaaby_..." she called to him sing song and that was it. He didn't know what he was doing but he knew his body was now acting of its own accord, the inner voice taking over, his alpha male. He spun on his heel and he closed the distance between them in one stride, he grabbed her upper arms, and he pushed her against the wall behind her. She gasped but before she could do anything more than that he pressed his body flush to hers "Is this what you want Penny?" Then he did what his body had been screaming at him to do since he first saw her. He let his lips finally find hers. It was soft kiss that gave away his inexperience, but he didn't care. All he cared about was showing her, letting her know he was the guy. That he was not a robot. He pressed firmly then dragged his lips across hers, the slightest hint of moisture. She moaned into his mouth as he held it there, too afraid to move, his body molding to her curves. She grabbed at his bottom lip as he pulled away. His blue eyes darkened with desire as he looked at her. "_Penny..."_

PPOV

She wrapped her arms around his body and lifted her left leg to wrap around his thigh and pull him closer to her core. She wanted to wrap herself all around him, to cover him like a blanket so he wouldn't feel scared or alone. To feel his body all around her, enveloping her in his universe full of the unknown, making her a part of the brilliant madness that is Sheldon.

"Shhh I got you baby…"

SPOV

"_I-I-I don't know what I am d-d-doing...I am not like the m-m-men you are used to being with. I am...I do not know if I am ready, I just know I d-d-don't want to l-l-lose you"_ His nerves were getting the best of him. He began to stutter as he did when he was a child. That's why he didn't speak in public. He rested his forehead to hers, she smelled so good. His arms around her back, his body curved into her. His hips moving closer to her instinctively, she met his body with hers. The heat in the station might be off, but he couldn't tell.

PPOV

"_It's okay sweetie, just relax" Penny whispered into his ear. Her mouth grazing his ear causing his breath to catch again and his arms to pull her closer, he was operating on pure instinct. _

She was the one that did the kissing now, as she had thought about doing so many times before. His lips were so soft and supple and tasted just as good as she imagined, like mint tea and innocence. She took his bottom lip into hers letting her teeth graze them softly as she pulled away her tongue sliding across his lip. His arms trembled around her. She moved against him, wanting him to feel how much she wanted him, and how there was no one else that she wanted. She wrapped her hand around his back and pulled him closer to her, she could feel his heart beating. She caressed his cheek as she spoke to him, his breath caught as her touches, his eyes met hers again and she could see the heat building there but also the fear. His body trembled, she felt his body shake, she was close herself, but this was about him.

To think she could share that with him, to let him find that release. She caressed his face, he looked away as if he was ashamed, his breath was ragged and hot. She ached inside, her body ready to betray her again, when she had felt his hand on her thigh, her wetness pooled in her panties. He whispered her name, she got dizzy, her pleasure at its peak.

"Sheldon, no one that came before matters, this is about me and you. I have been waiting so long for you, and I will keep waiting until you are ready."

"Penny…I"

"Come on sweetie, we need to go and see about getting the lights back on" She pulled her body away from his, it immediately screamed at her for betraying what she really wanted. Her desire for him had her biting her lip. She needed to be patient, she couldn't push Sheldon.

"Yes I think that would be a good idea" Sheldon finally spoke, his voice trembling a little. As he did he shifted his coat in front, hiding what had just happened. Penny grinned, he was definitely Homo Novus, but who ever said Homo Novus didn't have wants and needs, the most basic biological needs that we all have.

They still had a few weeks left here, she would take things at his pace, but she was going to show him little by little how much he had been missing, how good he could feel if he just let himself go. She was also going to help him nail this project and get that Nobel Prize, this was his life work and it needed to come first, there would be time for them. Heck, she had waited this long, she could wait a little bit longer…just not too long! He is lucky she didn't jump him right there in the generator room.

SPOV

He had kissed her, and she didn't run away. She didn't laugh at him, she didn't scream and no one popped out to beat him up over it. She smelled like jasmine and lilies and a scent that was uniquely Penny. Her skin was soft under his touch, he wanted to be gentle, he feared if touched her too rough she might bruise. His body reacted on its own, he could not keep from wanting to feel all of her, his hands had caressed her back, reaching up to run his fingers in her very long hair. His arousal sought her out, gravitating to her body proving all of Newton's laws in one moment. He thought he would lose it right there when her mouth grazed his ear and she ran her leg up his thigh. His heat was rising within him threatening to give him away, proving to her that he was not the superior Homo Novus he pretended to be.

When he had felt her bend over in front of him, bucking back towards him, letting her backside rub against him and call him "baby" something inside him sprung to life and took control, took control of scared Sheldon, shut off his auto pilot and decided to take this body for a test drive and Penny was going to be his first passenger. She reacted to his touch with desire and passion, he was a doctor, he saw her cheeks flush, felt her breasts rise and fall with desire as he kissed her. She was alive and radiated heat, her desire was evident in the way her arms pulled him close, wrapping themselves around him. He thought that he would burst into flames the heat was too much to take. His hand reaching the hem of her shirt, it was trembling but not from fear but of sheer unadulterated lust, he wanted to rip it off and explore every inch of her body, caress her body, learn her topography with his hands and his mouth. He would commit her body to memory forever, the feeling and the taste of her, never to be lost among the cacophony of formulas and figures that danced in his head. She would become a part of his universe, his constant.

My hand brushes her thigh, softly pulling it unconsciously towards me, feeling her mount me, I cannot help but rise to meet her body, my head gets dizzy, when her tongue grazes my bottom lip, I cannot hold back my desire and softly grind my arousal to her as my body shakes from the passion of climax. My body betrays me and I whisper her name. As I do, I feel her tremble and pull me closer, holding me there, releasing her warmth close to me. She caresses my face and talks of taking it at my pace, of waiting for me. I watch her catching her breath, her cheeks a soft pink, a sheer coat of moisture on her forehead. She looked so beautiful. If I prescribed to the beliefs of our friend Raj, I would imagine I had done something very spectacular to deserve this moment. She told me she would wait for me, little did she know, I too had been waiting for her too all these years. It had been too much for him, the kissing and touching, he wondered how he would be if it and when it went further. He feared he would disappoint her. He felt dizzy; she took his hand and led him out of the generator room. She grinned up at him as he went to the shower.

"Let me know if you need a hand Moonpie" she called back to him as she went towards the kitchen. Why would she think I needed help in the shower? _Oh…._


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

He leaned his hands against the wall of the shower. The water cascading over his shoulders, leaving trails along his back. His ears muffled by the water running through his hair. He held on to the wall for fear that his legs would give out under him; he had felt release before but never like that. There wasn't even that much kissing involved. She had not deepened it he feared, because she believed that he would not be able to handle it. He also felt the same, but there was something in him, something primal that wanted to take over. When she offered a hand in the shower it stood at attention and almost purred at the suggestion.

Even as he stood there now in the shower under the cold water, his body was still humming. Thinking of her has him aroused again. Any other time he would feel shame, but not now. He could still feel her lips on his, the warmth of her skin. He lifted his head and adjusted the water, making it slightly warmer. There was not much light in the bathroom, since the backup power generator would cut most non-essential lights. The room was basked in the red of the emergency lights and the little light from the outside hall from the small window above the bathroom door. He didn't hear it open.

He felt her tongue on his back as her hands caressed his shoulders and his sides. Her mouth was intent on capturing every drop of water, exploring every freckle, every mark, and her teeth grazing his skin, as if to mark him as her own. He tried to turn but she held him in place, running her hands up his arms, stretching against him, she was surprisingly strong. Not that he had any strength against her; he would never put up a fight. His body would betray him every time, his heart would surely follow. There was no resisting this anymore; he had fallen in a black hole, the swirling vortex that was Penny. Her infectious smile, her laugh, her eyes the color of jade, her body, her spirit, her love, he wanted to be part of that world in a way he never thought he could or wanted to be with anyone else. The pull in his stomach, the pang in his heart, it started that day she admired his work and sat in his spot. That is when she became his "spot".

"_Stay right there" she whispered to his ear. Her tongue lapped the drops of water that caressed it. His breath caught and he trembled, he wondered how the water didn't evaporate the moment it touched his skin. _

He did not move and he feared what he would say if he tried to speak but her body on his, flushed to his back silenced any protest he might have feebly tried to voice. Her arms were now around his chest, he felt the soft mounds of her breasts against his back, his body quivered a bit, as her hands continued to explore his chest, her finger moving along his nipples, pinching them softly, her mouth and tongue on his back continued its exploration.

She ran her hands down his stomach, pulling him closer to her; she rubbed her body up and down his back, her breasts and mouth caressing my lower back. Her teeth grazing his buttocks, the sensation sent waves of pleasure throughout his body. Her hands found his hips and caressed the path his hip bones that led to his awaiting arousal. She cooed when she reached his shaft. She gently caressed the shaft with the tips of her finger, it moved as if on its own accord towards her. He purred at her touch. He had never had anyone touch him. It felt so good; his thoughts began to swirl in pleasure. He wanted to hold her, he wanted to turn to her, but he was still afraid. His body ached for her, but he feared he would not know what to do.

She then traced her finger around the head of his cock. Her mouth still on his neck and back, her body pressing him closer with every touch, and then she grabbed him in her hand and gently moved her hand along the length of his shaft. With this he found he needed to touch her. He reached his hand back and tried to pull her closer to him if it was even possible. He grabbed her leg at her thigh to raise it against his leg and his other hand resting on the wall for fear if he let go his legs would give out underneath the amount of pleasure she was giving him.

"_Oh Penny…that feels so good." He spoke in a whisper only she was meant to hear._

"_You like that baby?" she whispered, her tongue licking his skin when she talked. It was as though she wanted to taste his body's reaction to her touch and her words._

He let his hand answer her question. He released her leg and began to explore the only other place he could reach and he found her soft mound, it was warm and gravitated immediately to his hand. He moved slowly as this was a new terrain for him. He let his long fingers explore slowly her folds, the lips moist and warm to his touch. She grabbed him tighter and stroked a bit more heated reacting to his touch. He began to memorize the gasps she made in reaction to his touch. It made his arousal even stronger as she mounted his fingers.

"_Oh yes Sheldon, please touch me…" _

He let his finger explore deeper into her, she gasped and bit at his arm sucking at the bite, pulling his skin with her mouth as the pleasure of his touch made her hips grind forward, she wanted him deeper, his fingers' ministrations were bringing her closer to her climax. He could feel it in the wetness and heat inside her. The way her body was riding his hand, while at the same time her hand was stroking him faster, tightening and releasing his shaft keeping rhythm with his fingers, as he plunged his fingers deeper letting his hand rub against her clit, he was bringing her closer to orgasm and he too was closer than ever. They moved in sync, pushing and pulling, faster and faster, deeper with each stroke and plunge.

"_Don't stop baby, cum with me_"

With that last request whispered into his ear and one final stroke, his orgasm came, full force, causing his body to shake as she stroked and squeezed every last drop out of him, his hand feeling her orgasm as her walls tightened and released, her wetness a reward for his good work. Her body was trembling with pleasure. Her hand caressed his spent member, washing away the remnants of his release. Her free hand found its way to his hair and she pulled his head back, letting her tongue lick up the side of his neck to his ear, she grabbed his ear lobe in her mouth, sucking on its softly, he teeth grazing it softly as she pulled away. _"Seems we gave each other a hand" she whispered and with a small kiss to his neck she was gone. _

He immediately felt naked as her body was no longer there, he finally opened his eyes, and he was alone. If he didn't know before, he knew now. It was his turn to return the favor. He washed up, not wanting to wash her kisses away, his hand still warm from being inside her; he fought against the urge to run his tongue along his fingers to taste her. She was going to be his.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Her body was still humming as she walked back to her room, their room. She had wrapped herself in his robe, she wondered if he would miss it. She could still feel his hand inside her, his fingers exploring her. She had held him there to the shower wall; she wanted to make him feel good without him feeling bad about it. She wanted to touch him and to taste his skin. She was going to let him wait, but knowing him it might take him another five years to make a move. That brief session in the generator room had left her itching for more and she knew he wanted more as well.

When she touched her tongue to his back and wrapped her arms around him, he was already aroused. Had he been thinking about her there in the shower? His body felt so good against hers, it took everything in her power not to let him turn around to have him lick her and kiss as she had been licking and kissing him. To let his hands explore her body. To show that amount on restraint on her part was definitely the beginning of something new.

She dried herself and threw on some clothes she made mental note that a shower would definitely be needed tonight, her body was still flushed, a cold shower come to think of it. She had boiled some water to start on dinner and quickly whipped up something nice for him to eat, she herself was too riled up to eat. She took out a comic book for him to read and set out his dinner. As he made his way to the kitchen she padded him on the chest and directed him to his dinner, he smiled and thanked her under his breath. It was strange to see him so relaxed and subdued. She thought to herself that what had just happened was something he needed very much. He immediately grabbed his plate and headed to his lab, tucking the comic under his arm he headed out.

"Sheldon, I am going to take a shower then I am going to run those numbers through the computer again. Do you think we will have enough backup power to do any real work tonight?" she called out to him as he started to set up some whiteboards in the front living room area.

"Yes Penny, I believe we will have sufficient power to run both your computer and my laptop if necessary."

"You aren't going to work in your lab?" She asked, curious that he was moving out to her work area, which had been in the common room area.

"The light out here is better and I do not wish to be in that room at the moment" his answer was simple, yet it told her more than he could imagine. He wanted to be with her, close to her.

She walked over to him and laid her hand on his chest, he smelled like soap and talc and she took a deep breath. "That sounds great sweetie" she said, not once taking her eyes off of his. She lifted herself onto her toes and placed a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth, his hand grabbed her wrist, his other hand softly lying across her shoulders, pulling her a bit closer as she started to pull away. She jumped a bit at the contact, it was unexpected, even after what they just did, she knew he was not found of displays of affection or touching. She kissed him again, this time on his lips. She felt him press his lips to her this time again, she wanted to deepen the kiss, but waited, then she felt his mouth open just a bit, allowing her a access. She softly let her tongue reach out and touch his. His lips instinctively closed around her tongue, holding it to his mouth, she let her tongue begin to explore, and he gasped at the feeling, his body beginning to react, his grip becoming tighter around her. She knew if she didn't stop, this would continue and she didn't want things to go this way. She pulled away softly, a pout forming on his face, just briefly; she felt the pang in her heart.

"Eat your dinner baby, we can play a bit later on okay, I am going to go get all cleaned up and then I will come join you and we can talk physics, _Doctor_."

That last word earned her a look of deep desire and a small smirk formed on his face, his eyes widened, his eyebrow arched. He liked that. He _liked_ when she called him that. She would have to store that in her memory for future use.

"_Okay_" he whispered the small smile still there. She pulled his face down to her and kissed his forehead.

As she turned to walk away she heard him again "_Thank you Penny_". She turned to say something but he was already jotting down some formulas and approximations, his hands moving swiftly across the whiteboard filling it with ideas and calculations, a grilled cheese sandwich in one hand and his weapon of choice-a dry erase marker in the other. There was only one other thing that she enjoyed more than his touch and kiss was to watch his mind at work. A smile spread across her face imagining what his mind at work would look like when he finally decides to examine her. That thought alone made her take a longer than normal cold shower.


	13. Chapter 13

**This is a little bit of a short chapter. Just some closeness, a little insight into Sheldon**

Chapter 13

After a long shower Penny made her way to the common room to find that Sheldon had dozed off in one of recliners in front of his whiteboards, half an eaten sandwich in hand.

He looked so peaceful; Penny didn't want to wake him. She grabbed a blanket and covered him. With a soft kiss to his forehead she padded her way to their room. She plopped down on her bed and rested her head to the pillow. So much had happened in these last few weeks; So much in these last few days alone. She felt so much for Sheldon, she only wished she knew what he felt for her.

She fell into a deep sleep, but soon she stirred a little as she felt him get into her bed with her. His warm body pressed against her. She moaned at his touch. He didn't scoot to the middle to lay like a mummy, he scooted close to her, his body spooning hers, he draped his arm around her. She could feel his body trembling. She grabbed his hand and intertwined her fingers with his.

He put his nose to her hair and inhaled her, he kissed her hair. "you didn't wake me" he said softly into her ear, his lips grazing her ear. She quivered at the warmth of his breath on her ear.

"You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to disturb you" she pushed her body back into his, he held her closer.

"I have known no peace in my life Penelope"

His words were filled with pain and her breath caught in her throat. He was so damaged, what had his life been like? The betrayal by his friends last time they were here had been a real blow to him, bringing him down to earth. He must think he is not worthy of even his friends.

"It wasn't easy growing up like this, I know we joke about it, the bullying and the taunts by my brother and sister, even by my own parents, but life was tough. I had no friends; do you know how lonely that can be Penny? Solitude became my only companion. That is why when I saw that I was starting to need your presence, I pulled away. I could not see my life with anyone before and now I cannot see it without you. My routine and schedules have always kept me company; they have offered consistency and stability to my otherwise crazy mind. It is maddening to know what I know. I have been betrayed before; my body has been beaten as well as my soul. That is why I didn't want to let anyone in again, that is until I saw you, your radiance, your glow, and you were like a supernova. I turned away at first for fear of being burned, but I have been defeated again, I am not as evolved as I try to make myself out to be, I am a mere mortal, who has fallen for an angel.

"Oh Sheldon" the tears welled in her eyes, she knew at that moment that she loved this man, that whatever she thought love was before, it was all wrong, this was it, this feeling deep in her heart, it ached for him, it felt his pain. She wanted to make sure he never felt like that again and that no one would ever hurt him again. His words cut off her thoughts.

"Penny…the chaos in my mind is only stilled in your presence, and it is replaced by a different kind of turmoil. One of hesitation and uncertainty, you do not know what I am going through, just to get into this bed with you was a struggle."

"Shhh…its okay" she tried to assuage his fears, even if just for a bit.

She ran her fingers down his face, he had some stubble, it was soft, she grazed her fingers across his lips, as she did he closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. His lips reacting to her touch, he weakened at her closeness, her touch. He was barely holding it together this long.

"Don't Penny, I don't know if I can take much more today. I am all over the place. Can I just hold you?" his voice was shaky, giving him away.

She pulled him close to her, he rested his head to her chest, he was so fragile, she didn't want to break him, it must have been so tough for him to confess all those things to her.

"Penny. You do not know how much you…mean to me" the words choking him.

"Tomorrow we will start to work on getting the data you need to make your dreams come true baby" she whispered into his ear.

"_One of those dreams has already come true_" he said, his words barely a whisper.

She snuggled him closer, wanting to somehow take all his pain away with her warmth, her love. With his head to her chest and they slept, for the second time, they slept together.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

She woke to find the bed empty next to her. She saw Sheldon's bed was not slept in, he had spent the whole night with her.

As she started to get up she saw him make his way into the room. "Rise and shine sleepy head" his tone was jovial, he was happy.

"What time is it Sheldon?"

"I let you sleep in since I did disrupt your REM cycle last night," he looked bashful as he said this, his eyes glued to an imaginary spot on the ground.

"You should have woken me up, we have a lot of work to do baby" she leaned up and kissed him on the corner of his mouth. He didn't pull away.

He looked at her, into her eyes as she kissed him; he held her hand close to his chest where she laid it. He squeezed her fingers softly. She smiled at him and without any words they just stood there for what seemed like hours.

She showered and ate and they got to work, they worked most of the day into the early hours of the night. During their time outside collecting the data from the sites Sheldon had laid out across two miles of snow, the power was restored and the threat of another storm was a few days out. They had a lot of time to make up.

As they worked Penny would glance at him, his face intent on his whiteboards the numbers and figures dancing on the pages in front of her. Her eyes burned but she worked without a complaint, she looked up and saw he placed a cup of tea at her side. She smiled and he leaned down and kissed her head. The gesture was so intimate, especially for Sheldon.

The hours of work became days, on the nights they would manage to stop working, they would crawl into bed together, too tired to care, just holding each other in exhaustion. It would come soon she could feel it, he would find the answer that he was chasing after.

They were down to their last week, there was another storm coming and they knew they would have to collect all the remaining samples and hope they would have the answers they needed, because this storm could cause them to lose all the new samples and they might have nothing. They awoke before the sunrise; Penny was becoming accustomed to waking up early with Sheldon. No longer did he have to obey the 11am rule, she was now officially a morning person, her daily cup of coffee, now replaced with some Earl Grey. She had never felt better.

That night she promised herself she would try to cook them something nice to eat and take a breather, one night would not hurt.

They finished up their rounds outside, just as the snow started to fall. As they came in from the snow, Penny laughed as the snowflakes swirled around Sheldon's head, he looked like a little boy.

"Come" she said as she pulled him back outside.

"Penny, really come on its starting to snow"

"Dance with me Sheldon"

"We have no music Penny and you know that I don't dance"

"Yes you do Sheldon"

"Well I concede that I might know how to dance, doesn't mean I do dance, it still does not solve the problem of there being no music"

She pulled on of her ear buds out, her mp3 player was playing the counting crows but soon Adele starts to croon and Penny pushes an ear bud into his ear, he smirked a little but he knew it would be a losing battle; he had not resistance to this woman.

He listens to the song as it plays; she smiles at him and tells him, "listen"

She hold out her hands and they move softly there in the falling snow, as the lyrics speak to him, his closeness to Penny ignites something inside him.

_**You've been on my mind  
>I grow fonder every day<br>Lose myself in time  
>Just thinking of your face<br>But, God only knows  
>Why it's taken me so long to let my doubts go<br>You're the only one that I want**_

With those words crooning into his ears and this woman, this goddess in his arms, he feels safe. He knows he isn't the only one that has felt this, gone through this. She sways like an angel in the falling snow, she looks up at him, her eyes full of unshed tears, she smiles at him, and she knew the song would speak to him, as it had to her. It was as if it were sung by two people, in this instance it was her and Sheldon, she looked at him as her part was up.

_**I dare you to let me be, oh  
>your one and only<br>I promise I'm worthy  
>to hold in your arms<br>so come on and give me a chance  
>to prove I am the one who can<br>walk that mile  
>until the end starts<strong>_

He pulled her closer, he softly lifted her chin and he looked at her, her eyes so beautiful, he knew she would be the one that would walk the mile with him. He trusted her, she was worthy, she had proved it time and again, and her loyalty was unfaltering. She had bought him back from the brink of insanity, her words, her pleas, her tender kiss.

"Oh Penny…." He whispered, his eyes closing as a tear ran down his cheek.

It was snowing, it was cold, they were alone at the top of the world but she never felt warmer or more protected than in his arms at that moment.

"I love you Sheldon" she whispered.

"And I you Penny, my sweet Penelope"

He closed the gap between their lips and he kissed her. He poured his soul into that kiss devouring her with his mouth, his emotions overflowing into her. She responded in kind, her fingers through his hair her body aching for his touch, his arms pulled her closer to him, crushing her body to his.

She pulled him inside. Their lips never parting for more than a few seconds, to remove their jackets and boots was a mission itself as they could not bear to be without each other's mouth and touch. The warmth, the passion emanating from within them was too much he pulled her to him, pushed her against the wall of the common room, his hands in her hair

"My sweet Penny" he whispered into her ear as she lavished kissed on his face and his neck. He inhaled her scent; he kissed her ear, her neck. He pushed his body against her and she could feel his erection against her stomach, her hands worked to undo his belt and opened the top button of his pants, she slid her hand in and he groaned at her touch. He was ready for her. She was ready for him as well, she could feel it pooling down below, her muscles clenching just at his touch, his kiss.

He did his best to untangle his hands from her hair and ran his hands down her sides, her heavy sweater not doing much to hide her beautiful form.

"You are so beautiful Penny" he said into her mouth, his tongue finding hers over and over again, she bit at his lower lip, her hand relentless on his erection.

His hands quickly found her pants and they were soon gone, he touched her skin, it was hot to the touch. He ran his hands down the length of her thighs, the warmth from her was incredible, he ached to touch her, to feel her on his hands again, but not now, now he needed to have more to be inside her, to become one with her. His hands found the back of her knees and he lifted her, she wrapped her legs around him instantly. He reached for his pants to release himself, his hands brushing her inner thigh, she quivered as he gently stroked her, and she was ready.

The sound of his zipper releasing him almost took her over the edge, before she could think, he was inside her hard. He then pulled out. He lifted her softly and then bought her back down along his length. Slowly and deliberately, his eyes never leaving hers, he watched her, his Penny.

He was filling her, expanding her, she felt it building up inside her, it would not be long it would not be for him either. She looked into his eyes as he groaned in pleasure, his mouth meeting hers again, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Oh baby yes, harder" she moaned, she pled with him.

He immediately obeyed; he thrust into her harder and faster against the wall, his hands around her ass spreading her with every thrust, his fingers digging deep into her. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her mouth on his, he thrust his tongue into her mouth. She responded by meeting his thrust and tightening around him. She tugged at his hair.

"I-I-m coming baby" she barely got it out before she exploded around him,

With a final thrust he did as well, his mouth biting and licking her neck, his breath was ragged, her eyes rolling back in her head. He rode the wave with her. They were spent. The last five years of foreplay, stolen glances and stares, hidden moments of camaraderie all coming together.

He held her there against the wall. But his legs were threatening to give out on him, he was trembling. She feared her legs would be just was useless if he put her down. They slid down to the ground, his body against her, her legs around him. He laid his head on her chest as she stroked his hair and kissed his forehead. Their breaths are ragged. It takes them a while to come down and he listens to her heartbeat as she wraps her arms around him.

For the first time they are together.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Their bodies were spent. All the pent up feelings all released in a moment of utter desire and lust. He felt his pulse slow as he lay against her body. His spent member no longer confined to her glorious insides. His arms still held her close as though she were the lifeline he so desperately needed.

She caressed his hair, his face. No one had ever been so close to him before, he had never wanted anyone this close. Except maybe that one time, but that had turned out to be the dream of a young boy. This was for real. He wondered how many more feelings there were besides what he felt with her now.

He knew they would have to get up soon, as he shifted she pulled him closer, enveloping him around her there on the floor. She looked at him through hooded eyes, she was still in sleep's slumber but subconsciously she still wanted him close. Sheldon found it almost difficult to swallow at this, the lump in his throat prominent, she wanted him, no pretentiousness, real desire.

He pulled himself up and in one quick swoop he lifted her into his arms. She nuzzled her face to his neck and wrapped her arms around his neck. He could smell her sweet smell, a combination of sleep, jasmine and lust. He wanted to drink in that smell always. He pulled her closer to him and kissed her head.

He placed her softly on her bed. The last two times he had done this she had been hurt. This time he was sure she was okay. Her smile, even in her slumber told him that she was satiated. He removed what was left of her outdoors clothes and covered her in her blankets. As he turned to leave, she pulled at his hand.

"Stay with me…" her voice a whisper but those three words so strong, said more than just that. It got to him deep at his heart.

"I will never leave you Penelope" he bent over and kissed her forehead. His lips caressing her cheek, then her mouth, she opened it just a bit to allow him to deepen the kiss just enough. The moan that escaped both of them spoke volumes of the desire that was still there.

"I will be back, I will clean up, sleep my love" he whispered in her ear as he let his lips caress her ear. He felt her quiver softly under his words. Her hand very reluctantly released his as he made his way to the bathroom.

He reluctantly peeled away his remaining clothes, he thought of how his body was covered in her, in her kisses, her caresses. He shuddered at having to wash away the evidence of his first time with her. He was normally a stickler for hygiene, however in this case he wanted to keep her scent on him, she had marked him as hers and he wanted it to remain, it was a primal sensation. The man in him awakening again,

_She did this to you. Good for you boy! Finally a man! _

He could hear that voice again, this time they were both on the same page. He would not make the same mistakes that others had made, he knew her, her routines, her likes and dislikes. He even knew her menstrual cycle! He even knew how and why her last few relationships had ended.

He also noticed that she was never like this with anyone else, she was different with him. She was patient and understanding. She changed so much about her routines to accommodate him.

_That's because she loves you. _

Yes, and he loved her too.

He hurriedly cleaned up, it was too late and too cold to shower, and he did his best and quickly returned to her. He climbed in the bed behind her and held her close to him. He had gotten used to sleeping with her, although at first it was about staying warm, it soon had been for more than that, he enjoyed the closeness, the intimacy that she offered him. He had never slept with anyone before her and at first it was strange but he soon learned that Penny made everything better. Her soft caresses in the night, her arms wrapped around him in the morning, all filled him with a sense of happiness and completeness that he never wanted to lose. He wondered how he had been able to sleep without her all these years before. He wondered why he had been trapped in the past for so long. He wondered how many things he had missed out on by letting the ignorance of others to keep him from exploring life. He saw that the years were starting to pass him by and that is why he decided to ask her to come with him here; he knew if she accepted that he had a chance. He had been living like he shouldn't but he soon found that with her he could love like he had wanted to. He softly put his arm around her midsection and buried his face in her hair. Sleep quickly took him over and his dreams were jasmine scented and tasted of Penny.

Her bladder was full and she needed the bathroom bad. She felt a heavy arm around her. She was so warm, this was not an easy thing to say being in the Arctic. She slowly turned to face a sleeping Sheldon. His face was so serene and calm a small smile featured very prominently, even in his sleep. She pushed the hair away from his eyes and softly ran her finger down his cheek and jaw. She loved to watch him sleep like this, so calm and relaxed. His mind was usually so hectic that he didn't even relax in his sleep. She ran her hand down the arm that was still wrapped around her. She noticed the fine muscles of his triceps and bicep. She had no regrets about how they had given into their baser instincts to use his clinical words. She needed him and he needed her, there had been something building there for a long time and she was happy they had consummated whatever it was. She knew things with Sheldon would never be boring or easy, but she liked a challenge. She liked how he made her feel, how he wanted her to be better. She liked the way his eyes watched her work, his appreciative look upon finding that she had done it correctly. Nothing had ever given her a greater reward than to know that she had been here to help him realize his life's work. She knew that he would go on to bigger and greater things, she wanted to be at his side when he did, not for selfish reasons, but because she was so very proud of him, and she loved him. She loved this great man and she loved who she was when she was with him.

She kissed him softly and extricated herself from his embrace. She padded her way to the bathroom and almost as quickly as she had made it there she was by his side again. His eyes opened slightly as she lay back at his side.

"It felt colder with you gone" he whispered.

"It was for me as well, then again the floor is cold" she smiled as he pulled her closer to him, she snuggled close to his chest. Feeling his heartbeat, she wrapped her arm around him. He smelled so good, like Sheldon. There was no way to explain it; it was something that was unique to him. She let it invade her senses. His hand found its way to the back of her head and caressed her through her hair, it felt heavenly. The sensation of having him this close, this warmth was overwhelming. She felt her body come to life, every nerve in her body was at attention as she felt his body react to hers. She lifted her face to meet his lips as they came down to hers.

Their mouths met softly at first but soon it was fevered and frantic. Their tongues fought for dominance, but soon they would find that they struggle was just half the fun. She bit at his lip and he tugged her hair exposing her neck to him, he found his mouth trailing from her mouth down her neck to that sweet clavicle he so admired in her blue dress that day he asked her to come with him. He nipped kisses and let his tongue taste her. Her skin tasted even sweeter than she smelled. It was a combination of sweet and sour. He was intoxicated and wondered if the rest of her tasted the same. He voiced this aloud to his own surprise.

"I wonder if you taste just as sweet everywhere"

"_Sheldon" _she tried to sound surprised and appalled, but it was just for show. She was quietly very glad that he was letting himself express these feelings.

She responded to him by letting her own mouth explore, she kissed his neck. A soft moan escaped his mouth. He pulled her closer,

"Doctor Cooper, I think you are wearing way too many clothes"

The sound of her calling him Doctor again caused shivers all down his body and he claimed her mouth again.

"Penny" he gasped as she pulled away, the little light in the room was nothing compared to the glint in her eye. She knew what she was doing to him. He smiled and thought that two can play at that game. He let his hands begin to explore…

"As leader of this expedition…" he began to say between kisses to the nap of her neck, kisses there made her body respond in a very primal and animalistic way which had him deduce that it was almost surely the best way to make her lose control.

"I must conduct inspections of all personnel…" he continued her body quickly responding in the way he wanted.

She found it difficult to continue her teasing; he had taken control and was handling her like an X-box controller. He knew all the right combinations. She may have been the aggressor during all her last relationships, but that was because she had not found a real man. Sheldon was certainly showing her that it was not about muscles and brawn but about more than that.

"Well Doctor Cooper I am all yours to inspect…" she answered her voice sounding more breathy than she thought it would, almost pleading him to continue his exploration. His fingers had found their way into to waistband of her white cotton panties and were tugging softly at the sides. She turned onto her back lifting her bottom as he knelt and slipped them softly down her legs, his fingers trailing down her legs as he guided each foot slowly and gently out. He softly held each foot, he placed a soft kiss on her instep and slowly began to kiss her legs, while he kissed one side the other hand caressed her other leg. He lifted her leg to kiss the space behind her knee and she quivered, she felt the kiss straight in her sex. She gasped at the sensation and looked right at him.

"That felt so good baby" she said.

"I know, I felt your breathing change and your heart rate increase which is an indication of sexual arousal"

Any other time, his clinical Sheldonese would have driven her mad but at this time it was having completely the opposite effect.

He continued his exploration of her body. He continued up to her thighs and quickly found her soft mound with his mouth. He claimed it much as he had claimed her mouth earlier. There was no pretense or hesitation. He was devouring her with the hunger of a man that had been without.

His mouth and tongue made her his over and over again, she pulled him closer, her legs encasing his head, her body lifting of the bed in pleasure as she climaxed again. She was no longer able to remember the times she had climaxed. His ministrations were heavenly. Her body was like his whiteboard and he wrote his calculations with his mouth and fingers.

"Baby, come here" she pulled him up to her; she pulled him into an embrace, feeling his now bare chest against hers. She kissed his mouth, tasting her desire on him. His tongue found hers and they entwined, his craving of her was relentless.

"Penny…" he whispered into her mouth.

"Yes baby" she answered between kisses, her mouth keeping him from answering, but she felt the question at her now very slick and sensitive entrance, she shifted so his head slowly entered her.

"Just the head baby" she teased him. Tightening around the head of his shaft, he moaned.

"Awwwh Penny…that feels so good"

"You think you're the only one with some tricks?" she kissed him again and tightened around him again, softly shifting him in and out of her.

"Please…Penny" he pleaded, his mouth at her neck.

His words touched her, she wanted to alleviate his pain, she wanted to feel him again inside her, filling her. She lifted her leg and pushed him into her slowly. He groaned as he filled her.

"Oh…God" he whispered.

"More…" Penny moved him with her leg. This spurred him into action. He began to speed up his pace, his fervor to have her again, he leaned up from her and grabbed the headboard of the small bed for better leverage, he pounded into her faster and harder.

"Harder..." Penny moaned loudly.

Immediately he acquiesced to her command. He could feel her climax building again. He pulled her legs up around his waist and sat her up onto him in that kneeling position. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he held her to him, but now it was her turn to ride him.

"Ride me Penny" he looked right at her eyes as he voiced his desire.

"Yeah baby" was all she could manage to get out as she began to ride him, his length disappearing in and out of her, his fingers dug into her backside aiding her in her, lifting her, moving her back and forth over him. This motion made her clit rub against him and she moaned each time he did it so he knew she liked it. He watched her. She found it intoxicating to have him stare at her, it was too much, she tried to close her eyes but he wouldn't have it.

"Look at me please" he pled with her. "I need to see you Penny" his voice strained as she felt his climax was climbing much as hers was.

She held his gaze and he pulled her closer and pushed into her, helping her take him harder and faster, she was in heaven his body tightened around her his arms like a vice on her body, the sweat between their bodies, the groans of pleasure pushed them both over the edge and they moaned loudly their pleas of desire and completion. Their bodies collapsing onto one another his mouth finding her breasts, her neck, her mouth, he wanted to drink in her desire, feel her coming down off this high. There was nothing in the world like this, he had been trying to figure out the universe around them, all the while this mystery lay spent beneath him and he had just peeled away one layer of it.

"Penny…" he kissed her again. He felt her moan and kiss him again; her hands ran through his too long hair. He didn't care; he had the results he needed for both of the most important things in his life, the woman he loved and his life's work. Soon they would be back in the real world, when they are there they can deal with everything else, for now he wanted to enjoy her warmth, her kisses, her caresses.

"_I love you baby_" she whispered as she gave into sleep again. He listened to the words that just came out of her mouth. He stared at her as she slept, her arms still holding onto him. He knew it was true. He knew she would not say it unless she meant it. She didn't have to say it; he knew that no one would do so much for another if it didn't mean something. He may not understand many social interactions but he did know what love was. He had watched for years as meemaw had cared for his Pawpaw, he knew what sacrifice and love were and the fact that Penny had traveled to the top of the world with him to help him prove his work, to make up for the travesty that the others had done to him, to help him rebuild his reputation told him more than those three words could ever.

"_And I you Penny_" and with that they slept together again.


	16. Chapter 16

Readers: It has been noted by a couple of readers that I could have ended the story with Chapter 14 even Chapter 15, but I think I will be closing off this little story soon so I can concentrate on my other stories which require more research and time. Thank you to all my funky faithful today is my birthday and I am writing this one just for your guys who enjoy some yummy Shenny-ness. Thank you! Your kind reviews are the best gift a writer can get.

Chapter 16

They were heading home. Their fingers intertwined with each other's, it was almost second nature for them.

He watched her as she checked in their bags. Admiring her face as she spoke to others a small laugh escaping her mouth as she talked with the attendant, he loved to watch her when she didn't know he was watching. It was like admiring something in nature. She was absolutely beautiful. Her skin, her hair, her whole entire being was, in his eyes, beautiful. Even the small scar on her knee that she got as a child falling from the hay loft at her family farm was beautiful to him.

She glanced over and met his eyes, she smiled at him, and he felt his face flush at her gaze. He had been caught watching her again; she had often caught him in recent days. He could not help it; he had never felt this before. He found himself having a panic attack the morning after they had made love for the second time. His thoughts had betrayed him and he began to think of all the things that could go wrong. He dreamt of that night in the cornfield. He dreamt that instead of the jocks, it was Leonard and Kurt that had left him there. He called out to her and woke up crying. She had cradled his head to her heart and held him near. Caressing his hair and repeating a sweet mantra of "Its okay baby, everything will be okay". Never before had he had more faith in those words than in that moment. He believed her. He needed no empirical evidence; he had faith in her belief in the words that would make it all okay.

They boarded the plane hand in hand and this time he let her sit by the window. He watched her eyes light up at the gesture. Such a small gesture made her so happy. He looked forward to doing everything he could to make sure that she was always this happy.

"Sheldon, have you given any thought to when you will present your findings to the University?"

Her question surprised him. She had changed so much since they came out here, she risked her life to save his samples, she worked tirelessly to check and re-check the numbers. He had reported all her progress to her school and made sure she had all the necessary credits for this semester.

"Well Penny, I have emailed Seibert that I have made some progress…"

"How come you didn't tell him that you solved for the Higgs Boson Particle?" Penny asked her voice was decidedly higher, disbelief clouding her face.

"Penny, I wanted to make the presentation of our findings in person, I did not wish to have the same situation happen that occurred last time I was on this expedition." He answered calmly, although he knew that she did not do anything like the guys had done last time they were out there.

"Yes, but I thought you were sure, the numbers were correct, weren't they?" she asked, there was a level of hesitation and uncertainty in her voice. Sheldon felt bad for her. He lifted his hand to cup her cheek "Penny, everything is okay, you did a great job, I do not want you to worry." He spoke softly as he finished he leaned down and kissed her softly on her lips. Her lips were parted just enough for him to latch on to her bottom lip, she sighed into the kiss and reached out to hold him closer to her, to deepen the kiss.

He would have been happy to have remained in their Arctic hideaway forever, they had such a connection during their time there, and he had learned what it was like to love someone completely and to have them love you in return. Working together had taught him to share and to work with others much to his chagrin at first; he had become accustomed to laboring alongside her in search of a common answer. He looked forward to the possibility of doing this again; although his field had always been theoretical he could see himself taking on more of these field expeditions if he had her by his side.

"No Penny" he gasped as he reluctantly pulled away from her kiss. "We mustn't start down that path now, we have a long flight ahead of us and you know how I feel about the germs on a plane, if not I would suggest joining a certain club"

Penny blushed and her mouth opened very wide at the fact that he would even think about that not that she herself had not thought of it. "Sheldon, aren't you the cheeky one?" she smiled her brightest smile and his cheeks reddened at her playful glances.

"Well you know what I mean Penny" he managed to mumble as he settled into his seat for the long flight. He pulled up the center arm rest and pulled her closer to him, she would soon be asleep and he wanted her to be comfortable as possible. "Thanks babe" she whispered as she snuggled into his arm and quickly fell asleep.

He did not mind so much this time, he actually felt much better like this than he had ever felt on a plane before, gone were the thought of crashing and the millions of pathogens being breathed in and out by the passengers on the flight. He placed a small kiss on her head and began to read a copy of Brian Green's new novel on his nook. It had been a present from Penny last time he came back from the Arctic, since his had been left in the snow.

Baggage claims and customs went rather smoothly, since they were on a scientific expedition, they entered a different terminal and managed to have their equipment re-directed to the lab at Caltech and headed off with their luggage.

Sheldon had arranged to have a car pick them up so as to not have to bother anyone with the task of picking them up. It was rather late in the evening and his only desire was to get home and into bed. He was exhausted form their journey and wanted very much to rest up for his meeting with Seibert the next day. Penny had expressed a desire to see their friends however she was worried at what their reaction to their relationship, although she did not know what they "technically" were.

"Sheldon, what are we now?" she asked as they rode back to their home.

"What do you mean Penny?"

"I mean, I know our friendship has changed, what do you consider this change in our friendship to be?"

"I imagine what you are trying to ask most inarticulately is whether this makes you my girlfriend?" he smiled.

"Yes Sheldon, although I would have gone with a nice way to say that" she returned his smile while playfully pushing his arm. He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him. His face became very serious as he looked at her eyes, those eyes that had cried for him while he was at his darkest, those that shined when she sang, however poorly, while she worked, and those that saw not a grown toddler, but a man.

"Penny, I do not like to classify this as something as trivial as boyfriend/girlfriend, you are and have become the most important person in my life. You are my friend, my lover and my colleague and I do not want to be parted from your side for as long as I live, does this answer your question?" he did not smile, he just held her gaze. He watched as her breath caught and her eyes began to water.

"Better than I could have imagined…" she managed to say before he pulled her into a kiss. He kissed away her tears and held her close as they made their way to Los Robles. They held hands as they arrived and eagerly waited as their luggage was taken up the stairs by the driver. Sheldon and Penny walked hand in hand up to their respective apartments and for a moment as they stood in front of their apartments they found they did not know in which direction to go.

"Stay with me tonight Penny" he asked her, pulling her flush against him. With one hand in hers at her side and the other at the base of her neck, she looked up at him, her kiss wordlessly answering his plea. As the moments passed the passion in their kiss grew and soon they leaned against the broken doors of the elevator. He leg hooking around his pulling him closer to her. His kisses tracing down her neck to her breasts. Trailing kisses across the top of her breasts, she moaned and pulled at his hair, pleading with her body for more. His hands wrapped around her hips and pulled her up, her legs wrapped around him.

"My place" she managed, feeling his very prominent erection against her center. She was tightening her grip around him and feeling him rub against her in that oh so sweet way that made his eyes roll slightly back into his head.

"Yes that would be best" he answered, moving quickly to her door. Fumbling with her key he opened the door. Still in each other's embrace, they groped at the light switch, only to hear

"W-E-L-C-O-M-E H-O-M-E!"

The chorus of voices was like a bucket of cold water on both of them. Sheldon almost immediately dropped Penny from his grasp. She stood on her feet adjusting her clothing, Sheldon tried to catch his breath.

The looks from their friends ranged from surprised to shock to even happy. There was no way of knowing what they each were thinking but Penny could make out that some of them were happy and some were at a loss for words for what they had just saw and heard.

Their immediate friends had prepared a makeshift welcome home party; they had decorated her place because she imagined that they knew about Sheldon's rule regarding parties and wished to keep from receiving any strikes.

"Hi guys" Penny smiled running towards Bernie and Amy. Their arms enveloped her into a tight three-way embrace. She was so happy to see them, it had been three months and she honestly did miss them. She had so much to tell them and she hugged them closer than even.

They guys immediately surrounded Sheldon and began to speak to him in low voices, his hands waving around emphatically as he brushed off any questions of what had just happened as well as questions about the research done.

"Sheldon, dude, I haven't received an email from you in a few weeks" Raj complained, the cold beer cradled in his hand as he patted his friend on the back.

"Yes buddy, tell us _all_ about it" Howard asked his eyebrows almost dancing on his forehead, how he could make such a simple question sound so pervy was beyond understanding.

"Well, yes Raj, we have been very hard at work with our findings and research" Sheldon responded glancing at Penny as he said this, she couldn't help but blush at his comment.

"Bestie, tell us how was your trip?" Amy asked.

"Yeah Penny, fill us in" Bernadette asked winking mischievously.

"Well guys it's late and I just want to get some rest, how about we schedule a girls night and we can all catch up?"

"Sure bestie, but from what I could gather about your entrance and accelerated heart rate you are most likely interested in something more stimulating than talking" Amy quipped.

"Amy!" Penny shushed her, unable to keep the smile that was spreading across her face.

They all gathered around and Raj handed out some drinks, the only one not there was Leonard, he and Priya had been late arriving from a weekend trip to Santa Barbara.

As they gathered around and spoke some more, Sheldon and Penny seem to gravitate to each other, Penny found it difficult to laugh or speak without occasionally touching Sheldon, it had become almost second nature. Sheldon also found himself more at ease as the night went on and sat with his arm resting around her shoulder as they laughed at Howard's stories about how his space toilet was being re-worked for a new mission.

Leonard and Priya arrived, wine bottle in hand to find the group well engaged in stories and looking at photos Penny had taken of the trip. Most of which were of Sheldon working and Sheldon looking angry because she was taking too many pictures. However there were other pictures of her smiling and some of her working that seem to surprise even her. It seemed Sheldon had taken candid pictures that showed her working or cooking, showing her beauty in a very natural state. The photos showed his genuine appreciation of her for all simple beauty. The pictures gave a very intimate glance at their time together. The friends all looked at one another, silently understanding what had happened between the two.

Leonard hugged Penny and Sheldon and welcomed them home. Priya greeted Penny warmly and headed to the kitchen to open the bottle of Pinot that they had brought as a welcome home present.

Sheldon took this moment to ask to speak to Leonard in the bedroom.

"Buddy, I am so happy you guys are home, we have missed you"

"Leonard, I think it is important that we speak before the night continues. There is something I want to discuss"

"Me too Sheldon, I have asked Priya to marry me and she has accepted, we will be moving to London as Priya's firm has offered her a partnership position in their London office. I have looked into work at a great lab there and been offered a fellowship at a research University."

"That is really great Leonard" Sheldon said. He was genuinely happy for his friend, even if that meant he would miss him, he was really happy he had found someone to love him.

"What did you want to tell me Sheldon?" Leonard asked his eyes squinting up at his tall friend.

"Leonard, you have known for a while that Penny and I have become close friends" Sheldon began.

"Sheldon, I have known for a while that you are head over heels in love with Penny" Leonard smiled as he finished his astute observation.

Sheldon was taken aback by his friend's candor and for the first time found himself speechless around the little man.

"It's okay Sheldon, I have long since been over Penny, I will always care for her, but she was not the woman I was meant to be with. What actually made me realize this was the way the two of you would go at it, the passion and fire that you inspired in her was something that I could never do. She has been crazy about you two. Hopefully you two made a go for it once you were away from here?"'

Sheldon found his loss for words difficult to deal with. He crossed his arms and felt his face flush. He had always known that Leonard was intelligent, albeit not at his level, but he now had a deeper and richer appreciation for the scientist.

"Leonard, I am extremely pleased that you feel this way, I have been for a long time harboring feelings for Penny. During our time together, we have changed the level of our intimacy and shifted the paradigm of our friendship."

"Sheldon are you trying to say you had sex with Penny?"

"Leonard, do not be crass, it is a lot more than that. I have found that I much like Penny; do not want to be apart from her."

"That is great Sheldon, I am really truly happy for you, I knew that if anyone could get to you it would be Penny. She is a great woman and she found a great guy in you. I am sorry that I have given you such a hard time in the past; it was my own insecurities that have guided my behavior. What I did to you in the Arctic was unforgivable, I am only happy that you were given the opportunity to go back and make things right. You were successful, weren't you?"

"Leonard, on all fronts I was a complete success, and I honestly have Penny to thank for it"

With that the two friends went back in the living room and more wine and laughs were had until soon it came time for everyone to go home. As the last of them left, Penny found that Sheldon too was getting ready to leave.

"You're going?" she asked shyly.

"No Penny, you're coming" Sheldon answered and wrapped her up in his arms and into his apartment. Sleep came easy that night, home in his bed with Penny, the wine making their dreams rose colored; they again slept in each other's arms.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

They awoke like any other day in the Arctic, except for the obvious climate change, nothing seemed different at all. Sheldon who always woke earlier than Penny made her tea and left it on the counter along with some toast as he prepared his own breakfast.

After a shower and a shave he found her sitting at her spot at the counter smiling at him with her bed hair and sleepy eyes. He loved this woman.

"Good Morning Sunshine" she quipped between bites of her toast.

"Good Morning Penelope"

"Would you like me to drive you to work this morning?" Penny asked as she washed up the mug and dish in the sink.

"I would think that you would be accompanying me Penny, we have a 10 am appointment with Seibert and Gablehauser regarding the findings"

"What do you mean _we_ have an appointment?"

"Penny, I wish to present the findings together, the _Cooper-Bennett Theory"_

"No Sheldon, you stop right there, I may have accompanied you and worked on the numbers, but this is all you. I will not take any credit for this. I will put my foot down. Mention me in a footnote or something, but I do not want what is not mine!"

"Penny you don't understand, I want to…"

"Sheldon, you listen here, I know this has been your life's work, I have heard you talk about this from the moment we met and it is the reason I decided to go with you on that expedition. It is because I have never seen someone suffer as much as you have and never has my heart broken as much as it did when I saw what you had suffered at the hands of the guys. I guess it is why I fell into that ill-fated relationship with Leonard; I wanted to forget the feelings I had at seeing you like that. I knew I could never live up to your expectations, never be at your level professionally or personally. I felt that I needed someone to help me forget that, to see Leonard as someone who was damaged and wanted me for nothing more than my physical beauty, it was my way of punishing me for wanting someone so outside my reach"

Her eyes watered as she finally spilled this long held confession. Sheldon stood still, his mouth slightly open at what she was saying, each word more pressing, more revealing than the one before. He tried to speak but her words cut her off.

She began to pace and her hands waved around a bit frantically, as he had often done when explaining a theorem or a hypothesis. It was a mixture of excitement and worry.

"Sheldon, I have for a very long time, hell, since I first met you felt a connection to you. I saw a kindred spirit. I know you do not believe in such hokum or nonsense but I have to tell you that this feeling was a strong one that pulled me to you, like gravity. You see I was never appreciated for anything more than my outer beauty, I found that you were never accepted because of your genius. It was as though we were two pieces of a puzzle, two halves of an equation. Do you understand me? Of course you do, look at who I am asking." She answered for him; she was frantic and had to get these feelings out.

"These last few months have been the very best in my life; I was happy and proud that I was the one that was there for you when you needed it the most and that I was the one there to help you fulfill your dream, but do not be mistaken this was your dream to find that particle, my dream was to help you and help fulfill my purpose."

"What was your purpose Penny?" Sheldon managed to ask, his face burning at her confession. He had never known her to be so passionate; he had never known she felt the same for him. Since he had seen her that first time through the opening of her apartment door, his heart had skipped a beat. He had been taken in as many by her beauty, but soon he found that she offered him more. She challenged him in ways he had never been challenged before and he found himself going out of his way to change his routine to find time to spend with her. Their arguments fueled their closeness and served as foreplay, of course at the time he did not know this. He was as inexperienced in relationships as she was at science, but just as she had learned he was learning as well.

"Sheldon, baby, my purpose has been to have you fall in love with me as much as I was falling in love with you. My purpose was to be a better woman for you, to deserve your love and affection, because if a great mind like yours could love me, I knew I had accomplished something. I went back to school because you challenged me to, you said that I wasn't doing it but that I was perfectly capable of; at first I wanted to rub your face in it but then when I saw you working with me, staying up to help me with my homework, I wanted to show you I could, make you proud. And to be honest the way you looked at me when you saw me working alongside you fueled my passion for knowledge and my passion for you. Maybe one day I will have my own theory to find and hopefully you will be alongside me when I set out to prove it, but I will be dammed if I will let your feelings for me cloud this moment. This is your life's work and I will be happy enough to be at your side when you present it and on the day you are awarded the Nobel, and do you know why Sheldon?"

She didn't give him the chance to answer her question. "It is because I-I love you" the words catching in her throat.

She looked at him. He didn't say anything, he just stood there, stunned silent at her confession. "Say something Sheldon! Or am I a fool?"

It took him two strides to close the distance between them and he wordlessly answered her plea. His lips locked to hers like a lifeline. It was not the heated, lust filled kisses they shared while away, this one was slow and soft and he felt every inch of her face in his hands as he gently cradled it in his large hands. He bent down to be closer to her as he kissed her. Her hands were on his sides clinging to his shirt for dear life, for she feared if she let go, she would collapse with exhaustion. She had never felt what she felt for Sheldon for anyone before.

"Penny, I told you last night that I never wanted to be apart from you as long as I live. I should have also told you, that it took me a trip to the top of the earth to find what I had here all along. It took me almost losing you to realize that I had to change the way I was, that I needed to live without fear, that you at my side would give me the strength and courage that I needed to do anything and everything. It was this that helped me figure everything out, plug in every missing variable and work out the answer to all of my theories. It made me realize that in this infinite universe there was no other life form more vital or ethereal than you. That you light brightens my days and your passion warms my nights, that even in my madness, the only voice I heard was yours guiding me to my salvation. I love, love, love you Penelope, now hurry and get dressed or we will be late" and with this he kissed her nose and sent her to her place to change.

#

The meeting with Seibert went fantastic. Sheldon finally let Penny get her way and he just listed himself as the author of the paper but he insisted on her having credit on the findings as well as a main researcher. He told Seibert that he would be lucky to have Penelope on his staff of researchers and Seibert agreed and offered a full scholarship as well as the position that had been promised to her with an increase in pay.

"That is fantastic President Seibert" Penny gushed. She was so excited at the possibility to work alongside those great minds at Caltech and to finally leave behind the Cheesecake Factory. Her life was changing in so many positive ways that she collapsed outside the office as everything finally hit her.

"What is wrong Penny?" Sheldon caught her mid swoon.

"Baby it is too much, I didn't expect any of this" she found the words amidst the tears that streamed from her eyes. He lifted her up and hugged her close. She cried into his chest for what seemed like hours. Students walked by but he could not see or hear anything or anyone but her soft sobs.

"Penny, it's okay baby, everything will be okay" her sweet mantra repeated to her was what she needed to hear as she let out a few short sniffles and they softly kissed.

"Come let's go home, we'll stop to eat and then I think you should meet up with the girls for some well-deserved girl time. Tomorrow you start work here and I want you to be as relaxed as possible, no more crying. A 'chick-flick' as you call them and a glass of wine as well as some good laughs is just what this doctor orders."

"Sure baby that would be nice" and with that she texted the girls to meet up at her place. The guys would be coming over to Sheldon's for some male bonding, they also wanted to help Leonard wrap up his collector items for shipping overseas and if anyone could do it right it was Sheldon, Penny was pretty sure that's why Leonard asked him to do it.

Stopping to eat a quick lunch they picked up some bubble wrap and tape and everything that you could think of that would be needed for Leonard. Sheldon was a good friend and Penny was happy to watch him discuss with the clerk at the store the benefits of one type of bubble wrap compared to packing peanuts. She smiled as something so simple could draw a crowd. Many shoppers at the store began to ask Sheldon what he thought of this type of box or this type of label; if Penny didn't act soon they would be there for hours. This was not the first time this happened.

"Come honey, we have to go" she smiled softly as the shoppers and hooker her arm into his.

"Sure Penny, but I was just advising this woman on the benefits of masking tape over duct tape"

"Of course sweetheart but it's been almost half an hour and the boys will be waiting for you"

"Yes you are right Penny." He let out a quick breathy laugh.

"Why are you laughing Sheldon?"

"Bet you never thought you would hear me say _that_, did you?" his eyebrow raised at their private joke.

"Ha, Ha, Sheldon" she smiled as they headed home.

#

Penny and the girls popped in a DVD and drank wine and some Mexican food that Bernadette had bought over. Between stopping to watch the yumminess that was a half-naked Chris Evans in the movie they had on, they gabbed about all the good things that had happened while they were away. Penny told them the good news about her new job and the scholarship that came with it. Amy was especially ecstatic, as she worked at Caltech and could have lunch with her Bestie every day! Penny was truly excited at that possibility as she knew she could use someone besides Sheldon and the boys to hang out with. She knew she could also depend on Amy for any help with her research and school work.

"Bestie, I also have news, I have decided to travel to India with Raj to meet his parents" Amy surprised them by her announcement. "I figured I should help him face his parents in person, that way he can finally feel free to do what he wanted, also I am excited to see how I look in a Sari!"

"Wow Amy!" Penny exclaimed. "I didn't know that you guys had gotten so serious"

"Well yes Penny, Raj is an amazing man; he is sensitive and kind as well as 185 pounds of raw brown dynamite!"

"Amy!" Penny and Bernadette exclaimed at the same time. They giggled at her description of Raj and bombarded her with questions about his prowess and were surprised when Amy told them that he was a true gentleman, both in and out of the bedroom.

"Did you tell her your news 'Strawberries'?" Amy asked Bernadette taking the heat off of her.

"Tell me what?" Penny asked Bernadette.

"I'm late" Bernadette said.

"Late for what?..._Oh!"_ Penny exclaimed, she didn't know if she should congratulate her little blond friend, she knew Bernadette was not the most maternal person she knew but the look on Bernadette's face and the hand slightly rubbing her center told her that she was really excited about the possibility.

"Oh Bernie…I am so happy for you. You will be an excellent mother"

"Thanks Penny, I was worried at first but now I feel that I do want to have a little one, a little Howie to spoil and suffocate much like Howard's mom does to Howard" she giggled as they all burst out in laughter.

Penny enjoyed her time with the girls and soon they were gone. She cleaned up and wondered what Sheldon and the boys had gotten done.

Pulling out her phone she sent him a quick text:

P: Hey,

S: Hello Penny

P: Are the guys gone?

S: Yes, only Leonard is still here, he is going to be sleeping here for the rest of the week until the packing is done.

P: I am going to shower; you are welcome to join me.

She smiled at her last text, remembering the last time they showered together. She waited and didn't get a reply. She pocketed her phone and headed into the bedroom only to hear the familiar staccato of his knocks on her door.

"Come in its open" Penny shouted out from the room as she undressed and made her way into the bathroom.

"Penny, I could have been a marauder"

"What did you say Sheldon?" she had turned the shower on full power and could not make out what he was saying. As steam filled the bathroom she heard him enter from behind the curtain. The hot water was just what she needed to end this long day, so many emotions all filling her and the wine and food with her girls had topped off a pretty spectacular day.

She felt, rather than heard his hand rub her shoulder and down her back as he stepped into the shower behind her. Her head down letting the water run over her hair and back felt so good. His hands rubbed her shoulders and back, his tongue and mouth found a home on her neck. She leaned back onto him as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him. She let her hands fall to his thighs, pulling him closer to her. His erection pressed to her, his desire for her made her wet with something besides the water that was cascading over them. She leaned forward to the wall and lifted her leg slowly onto the side of her tub; he followed closely to her, not wanting to release her from his grip. Upon her granting him access he entered her from behind, pushing her against the wall. He filled her completely, his body slick against hers, her arms splayed on the wall as he increased his tempo, moving faster but deeper, she lifts her leg up and he hooks it in his hand right under the knee and it grants him even deeper access.

"Oh Doctor Cooper" she moans as his other hand pins her hand against the wall and his mouth is buried in her neck, nipping and biting the skin there.

"Yes Ms. Bennett" he groaned into her ear as he continued to pound into her. The guttural sound of his voice against her ear and the urgency of his movement against her let her know that much like she was reaching her climax so was he. She reached around and dug her fingers into his rear, pulling him closer, deeper.

"Fuck me harder Doctor Cooper" she begged.

He released her arms and grabbed her waist pulling her from the wall and bending her over further, she grabbed the towel rack to steady herself and he began to pound harder and faster, their bodies slapping loudly from the moisture between them, which was more sweat than water at this point.

He ran his hand up her back and grabbed a handful of hair causing her to buck up against him even more, their pace increased and he lets out a long cry.

"Ohhh Penny" his hand tightening at her hips as he shakes and releases into her just as she comes around his pulsating member, squeezing her walls against him, causing deeper and louder moans from Sheldon. "Oh dear Lord…" he shakes and runs his hands down her back, massaging her as the remnants of their mutual orgasm wash over them. He pulls her up as he slips out of her. She turns and finds his mouth, their tongues caressing each other slowly and softly enjoying each other as their hands explored each other's bodies.

"I think a shower is in order" Sheldon said with a smile as his kisses covered her face.

"I, concur Doctor Cooper" she answered watching his eyebrow arch at her choice of endearment.

"Penny, if you continue to address me in that endearment, we will never leave this shower"

"That would be fine by me Doctor" she slyly smiled and took his face in her hands and kissed him hard. His arms wrapped around her again.

They never managed to get around to that shower.


	18. Chapter 18

_**To my funky faithful readers, thank you so much for your kind words. You do not know how much it means to me that you take your time to drop me a review. It warms my heart that so many of you have been touched by this little story. I wish you all to know that I plan on wrapping this up soon, but that does not mean this adventure ends for Penny and Sheldon, they may begin a new one in another incarnation. I do not wish to drag it out as many fanfics do when they do not know how to wrap it up. Some stories just become drivel when they cling to describing the mundane everyday things that people do without really a point. Stories have always had a beginning, middle and end. This story has always had an ending in my mind. This does not mean that they will not appear in maybe another story, with another title. **_

_**Also on a side note: Is it me or are too many of us writers using "holy crap on a cracker" I mean come on; this woman must have other ways of expressing herself. I find it is too overused and has lost its comedic and expressive value. No crackers or crap for this stories' Penny. :D**_

**Chapter 18 **

The next few weeks were spent between Penny's place and his. There was so much to be done with regards to their research; Penny's new job and Leonard's impending move, which left little time to do much, let alone make any decisions with regards to their relationship. Sheldon was busy in meeting after meeting with the board at the University and with the International Physics Department; they wanted him to present his finding to the committee at their next meeting in Germany in late November. This would be very good timing as they would be between semesters and Sheldon wanted very badly that Penny accompany him.

"Sheldon that would be great, I have never been to Europe, I have heard that Germany is a very beautiful country" she gushed, she was making some dinner for them. She had gotten Sheldon used to eating more at home. She explained that if they cooked he could be assured the food was prepared to his specifications and that he would suffer less gastrointestinal distress if he didn't worry so much about people touching his food. While she was happy he liked her cooking she had another motive.

She secretly wished that they could save some money; maybe rent a nicer place near the university. There were some cute little townhouses with a beautiful view and a pool. They had ones that even had an office so that they could work from home without filling the living room with whiteboards and papers. Amy had been the one that dropped off the flyer as she had one unit too and wanted very much that we become her neighbors. Raj had asked her to move in with him, but since Amy was worried about the residual mercury levels at his apartment from when it was a watch factory, they decided to rent a townhouse at the Strawberry Fields Townhomes and Gardens. Even the name was cute and Penny was sold at the idea.

With Leonard leaving soon, there was no need; she thought at least, that they keep two separate apartments. They were practically living together with the 'musical beds' they were playing lately, they might as well settle on a place. It was her plan tonight to mention it since they had not had a chance to do much in the way of talking lately with all the work they were doing. The fact that they couldn't keep their hands off each other too was keeping them from anything else, not that she was complaining at all.

"Sheldon, can we talk about something?"

She watched as Sheldon polished off the remaining rice on his plate, he loved when she cooked Spanish dishes. He mentioned something about exotic flavors and aphrodisiacs one time but the conversation quickly led to the bedroom, she had not caught the scientific reasoning, all she knew was that it was good to keep those spices handy.

"It worries me when you ask in that manner Penny, it has been my experience from what I have heard from Leonard and the guys is that whenever the words 'can we talk' are uttered, it usually means there is a problem"

"No Sheldon, don't be silly, I just wanted to ask you if you had given any thought to our living arrangements?"

"What do you mean Penny?"

"I mean, we spend most of our time together, you either sleep here or I sleep at your place, I was wondering if maybe you had thought about maybe moving in together? I mean logically it makes the most sense" she said this last line using her best Spoke voice.

His eyebrow arched at her last line, he seemed impressed and was thinking. She was proud of herself for knowing when he was doing this. It led her to believe that in time she would be able to almost guess what he was thinking, that when you come and think of it, is not as easy as it sounds, considering the man has a genius IQ. She offered another fact to support her argument.

"I thought since both of our leases are soon to expire, it would be most economical for us to pool our resources and find a place together, possibly closer to the University? Amy suggested that the townhomes she is leasing with Raj are very well situated and aesthetically pleasing"

"Penny, I do believe you have made a very good argument to why we should cohabitate at the termination of our respective leases. However, you pretty much had me won over when you asked if we should move in together." He smiled at her and then planted the sweetest kiss on the corner of her mouth.

"Oh" it was her turn to act surprised. She didn't think it would be that easy. He did love her, she found it endearing that they were making new routines, which always included each other. He was growing not only as a scientist, but as a man, and she was falling in love with him more and more every minute that passed.

"Penny, it is the most logical move, but it is not because it is logical that I want us to live together, it is because you are the last face I want to see when I close my eyes at night and the first one I want to see in the morning when I awake. Your body is the only blanket that keeps me warm and to think you want to share your life with me on a permanent basis is a magnificent thought"

"That is so special baby; of course I want to share my life with you"

"So let's go look at these places tomorrow. It is the weekend and I thought we could use some time away from work" she finished with a smile. They sat to watch a movie and quickly sleep claimed them again. Their hands held together in their sweet slumber.

#

Sheldon gave the realtor a hard time at all the places we looked at. One was too drafty, one was too loud, the other had a bird's nest outside the window, there was really no pleasing him this morning. She wondered if this would ever happen as they were at the tenth apartment, an old style bungalow, with rich mahogany walls and a bedroom with French doors that led out to a patio that overlooked the pool. We looked at each other and knew right then and there, that this was the place. The realtor however said that they place was only for lease if those interested in leasing did so with an option to buy. The place was way below market value because the owner was very elderly and living in Europe. The pool was private and the townhome was very secluded as it was on a cul-de-sac with only two other homes on the street.

"We'll take it" they answered in unison. There was nothing to be discussed, they knew they were in it for the long haul and Sheldon as surprised as she was by his response, pulled her into a kiss.

"I'll get the paperwork" said the realtor, obviously a little embarrassed by their display of affection, left to her car.

"I love you baby" she whispered into his mouth.

"And I you" he responded as they stood and stared out of the open French doors. The sun was setting and she thought she could get used to this view. She wasn't looking at the sun though; it was his smile that had her heart skipping a beat.


End file.
